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Harvey Milk

He was a natural leader. Harvey Milk still lingers in our memory, a charismatic, witty and warm individual who did much for Gay politics in the seventies, not only for San Francisco and the Castro district, but for the rest of the continent as well.

Harvey was born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, Long Island, New York. He had a typical childhood, and as an adult was very conservative, making his living as an investment analyst on Wall Street. It wasn't until he started dating Jack McKinley in the late 1960's that Harvey's conservative attitudes started to diminish. McKinley was the stage manager for Tom O'Horgan's broadway production of Hair, and it was this exposure to the counter culture of the late sixties that turned Harvey around. When Hair opened in San Francisco in 1969, Harvey and McKinley followed, and Harvey took a job as a financial analyst. When his relationship with McKinley started a downward spiral, Harvey packed his bags and headed back to New York. He didn't stay long though. He met and fell in love with Joseph Scott Smith, and the lure of San Francisco brought Harvey and Scott back to the coast in 1972.

The two opened "Castro Camera" a camera shop at 575 Castro St. The shop served more as Harvey's political office than an actual retail store, and the two lived in the apartment above. Harvey was disatisfied with the way politics was done in San Francisco, especially the agenda the Gay community had of hoping to elect "Gay friendly" straight politicians, and wanted to make changes. Harvey envisioned himself in City Hall, preferably as Mayor, an ambition which later earned him the nickname "The Mayor of Castro Street."

Determined to make changes, Harvey ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors the first time in 1973. He lost. Harvey ran three times until he was finally elected in 1977, becoming the first openly Gay elected city official ever. Milk was a political pioneer. He established alliances with other minority groups in San Francisco, and brought about new types of coalition politics, notably by getting support from the labor unions in exchange for having Coors beer boycotted in San Francisco's Gay bars. He also played a very important role in getting San Francisco's Gay rights ordinance passed, and was in there head first opposing the anti Gay Brigg's initiative, which was finally defeated. In Harvey Milk, the Gay community had a charismatic and effective leader, and we all had a wonderful role model.

The love affair between the Gay community and Harvey Milk came to a tragic end on Mon, November 27, 1978, when former City Supervisor Dan White, the proverbial "All American Boy", a former ex-cop and fireman, snuck into City Hall, and calmly assasinated both Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. White had previously promised to rid San Francisco of "radicals, social deviates, and incorrigibles". White was also enraged because he felt snubbed by Mayor Moscone, who was taking his time rendering a decision whether or not to accept White back on the Board of Supervisors.

The city was in shock. Moscone was a friend to the Gay community, and a much beloved Mayor. And to lose Harvey was more than the Gay community could bear. The night of the assasinations saw an incredible 50,000 people marching in a silent candlelight vigil, honoring the two slain men. White was arrested, and claimed that on the day of the assasinations he was confused due to eating too much junk food combined with his own moral outrage, which later was dubbed as the "Twinkie Defense".

The city police considered Dan White a hero. He was charged and convicted with voluntary manslaughter on May 21, 1979, and given a seven year sentence for murdering two men in cold blood. The Gay community was outraged. The city was engulfed in riots, later called "The White Night Riots". City police were instructed not to interfere, and they complied, reluctantly. The next night, however, saw the Castro district overwhelmed by city policeman, who were there to exact revenge, and more violence broke out. The Gay community fought back, but no amount of fighting would ever bring Harvey and Moscone back.

Dan White was paroled in 1985, after serving only five and half years. He committed suicide in October, 1985, an event largely ignored by the Gay community at the time.

Harvey Milk's memory still lives on in San Francisco. A library, community center, and public plaza are all named after him. He is, and always will be, sorely missed.

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Find out about the author of this biography by viewing Derek M's biography page.