A. Plan of Investigation
The question explored is “how did Harvey Milk’s political activity and legacy
impact the gay rights movement in San Francisco?”. Through investigating his leadership
role in San Francisco and his lasting impact after his assassination, I will attempt to
determine his contribution to the gay rights movement. Movements he led during life
and affected after death will be used as evidence for his impact on the gay rights
movement. First, I will need primary sources such as photographs of speeches and
parades, and transcripts of interviews to provide evidence for analysis. I will need
secondary sources that provide historical analyses of his socio-political impact, like
published monographs by queer-focused historians and biographical articles by
journalists. The aim is to evaluate how Milk helped the development of gay rights in San
Francisco.
B. Summary of Evidence
Before Milk moved to San Francisco and started making waves on the political
scene, gay activism usually took place in underground gay bars such as The Black Cat, and
did not have a large public profile.1Milk’s political activism ran alongside three attempts
at running for office on the board of supervisors, the third of which was finally
successful. From his first attempt in 1973, he created many enemies and lost because of
his unpredictability.2 As part of his effort to increase his political appeal, Milk entered
into an alliance with the teamsters unions in order to increase gay economic influence
1
2
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 24.
Ibid., 18.
1
through a boycott of Coors Beer, eventually removing the brand from all gay bars in San
Francisco.3 Along with other LGBTQ activists, Milk organized the NO on 6 campaign, and
successfully defeated its initiative to ban all schoolteachers promoting, advocating,
supporting homosexuality from San Francisco school districts.4 This campaign drew
widespread support as part of the 1978 pride parade. 5 As a result of Milk’s constant
activity, the Castro District became the gay neighborhood, drawing tourism and national
awareness.6 It received increased business and economic success and expansion in all
areas.7 As part of his third campaign, he formed the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club in
order to refocus on gay interests.8 After his 1977 election to the board of supervisors, he
received a letter that read: “I thank God I have lived long enough to see my kind emerge
from the shadows and join the human race.”9 With his new position on the board of
supervisors, his first proposal was a ban of all discrimination against gays,10 as well as an
attack on police harassment of homosexuals.11
On multiple occasions, Milk condemned moderates, stating that it’s time the
community “got down to the real thing,”12 because “if they give you a crumb, they can
take that crumb away.” He wanted full-blown equality.13 He favored strength over
3
Ibid., 24.
Bronski, A Queer History of the United States, 171.
5
“1978 San Francisco Gay Day Parade.” From Calisphere: The LGBT Pride Parade.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/kt1k40341v/z1&&brand=calisphere
6
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 88.
7
Boyd,Wide Open Town, 154.
8
Haider-Markel, Out and Running, 10.
4
9
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 220.
10 Ibid.,
224.
Milk, "There's got to be a lot more Harvey Milks." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by
Vince Emery, 169.
12
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 173.
13
Milk, "If they give you a crumb, they can take that crumb away. But if they give you freedom, it's pretty hard
11
2
passiveness, because he needed to show young gays that the system works, he wanted to
be a beacon of hope for kids who didn’t feel included anywhere else. 14 He saw that the
main problem was invisibility, so he justified his flamboyance through being a “human
billboard,” advertising the fact that gay people are capable of normal life and should not
hide in the closet.15 Along the same lines, gays contributed to society through taxes,
occupations, and other services. Harvey Milk did not want to continue contributing while
still being a third class citizen.16 Furthermore, He saw his activism as a way to educate
not only the masses, but people like his boardmate Daniel White. 17 He was aware of his
enemies, and anticipated attempts on his life. Still, he wished for the bullet that killed
him to “destroy every closet door.”18 A large part of his activism was based from human
rights arguments. He attempted to appeal to all minorities, not just homosexuals.19
Immediately after he was killed, 30,000 mourners, consisting of gay youth and
“conventional” citizens marched to the city hall carrying candles.20 The photograph of
this vigil depicts the street completely full, with points of candle light stretching into
the distance.21 His tradition of outspoken activism and uncompromising resolve had the
effect of guiding gay intentions after his death. He inspired gays to stay visible, 22 and to
to take that away." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, 64.
Haider-Markel, Out and Running, 287.
15
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk," http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
16
Milk, "If they give you a crumb, they can take that crumb away. But if they give you freedom, it's pretty hard
to take that away." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, 65.
14
17
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 254.
Ibid., 261.
19
Bronski, A Queer History of the United States, 171.
20
"Nation: Another Day of Death." TIME Magazine, December 11, 1978
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919893-5,00.html.
21
“Candlelight march for Harvey Milk on the night of his assassination.” Photograph.
http://www.qualiafolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CndlMarch-c.jpg
22
"Nation: Another Day of Death." TIME Magazine, December 11, 1978
18
3
continue projects that raised awareness and organized gay aims, collaboration, and
community such as Cleve Jones’ AIDS quilt. 23 In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed
Harvey Milk day into recognition, stating that Milk “symbolizes the importance of the
gay community in California.” 24 He left behind the legacy that gays can live an “honest”
life and succeed. Before him, to be gay was and illness and a crime, gays lead a dismal life
of dim career prospects and fake wedding rings.25 While most views agree that his legacy
was positive, some still saw gays as “disgusting, repulsive, revolting…” At the same time,
there are those who reacted by saying gays are “worthy of...love.”26
C. Evaluation of Sources
“The Pioneer Harvey Milk,” published in TIME Magazine’s June 14, 1999 issue, was
written by John Cloud, a senior writer for time magazine and the winner of both the
National Press Club prize for political journalism and a winner of a GLAAD award for his
article “The New Face of Gay Power.” The purpose of the article is to discuss Milk’s role
as a pioneer of successful gays in society, and argue for his positive impact on the gay
rights movement. It aims to show how his activism and death inspired a legacy of gay
pride and a new era of publicity for homosexuals. The work was useful because it nearly
exactly addressed my research question, considering both his life and legacy as driving
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919893-5,00.html.
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk," http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
24
Steinhauer, Jennifer. "Schwarzenegger Will Honor Gay Activist." The New York
Times.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/us/13milk.html?ref=harveymilk&_r=0.
25
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk," http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
26
"Forum, Sep. 29, 1975." TIME Magazine, September 29, 1975
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,913452-1,00.html.
23
4
forces in the growth of the gay rights movement, and using relevant evidence to support
claims. The source’s limitations in answering my question lie in the fact that its
argument was so focused. Because there is a clear argument that Harvey Milk strongly
affected the gay rights movement, there is a lack of consideration of other perspectives
or counterarguments that would produce a stronger answer to my question.
The Mayor of Castro Street, written by Randy Shilts, is a bestselling biography of
Harvey Milk. When it was published in 1982, it was considered groundbreaking because
it was a gay political biography. The purpose is to provide as much information as
possible on the life of Harvey Milk, and trace his political activity up until death, as well
as to argue that Milk was a vanguard of social and political change. As such, it was
relevant to my investigation because it provided a comprehensive source of all the
information regarding Milk’s life, supported by an extensive bibliography. The source
clearly helped me answer how Milk’s political activity impacted the gay rights
movement. However, the emphasis on biographical accuracy and presentation of
information limited its value in answering the part of my question concerned with Milk’s
legacy’s impact. Because the source has an informational focus, analysis of Milk’s legacy is
a secondary concern to the presentation of his life story.
D. Analysis of Evidence
The idea Milk emphasized most adamantly was the rejection of passive resistance
and moderation: If the community was content receiving “crumbs,” then those in
power--who were, at the time, not concerned with representation of homosexuals--could
5
just as easily “take that crumb away.”27 So, Milk advocated the importance of having a
strong social presence in order to ensure full consideration and recognition of gays as a
legitimate group. Furthermore, Milk saw the dismal life of “fake wedding rings”28 as a
failure of the gay rights movement to be a beacon for “kids who didn’t feel included
anywhere else.”29 Because he attributed these failures to passivity, he reinforced the
doctrine of aggressive efforts for full rights rather than being content with paltry
considerations. As he aimed to be a “human billboard” for change,30 he changed the
previously established pattern of quiet resistance restricted to gay nightlife.31 This shift
from submission to resistance characterized Milk’s dogma and is a significant aspect of
his impact on the movement.
In office, his efforts focused on bringing legal verification of equal treatment and
rights for gays in society. 32 The No on 6 campaign fought for the rights of gays to teach
in schools,33 and he helped remove legal precedent for discrimination and police
brutality directed at gays.34 These policies show that Milk used his political position to
increase the social profile of homosexuals, and protect them under law, helping to dispel
the stigmatization and invisibility of homosexuality in society. Milk’s boycott of Coor’s
beer in alliance with the teamsters union ended up increasing the economic profile of
27
Milk, "If they give you a crumb, they can take that crumb away. But if they give you freedom, it's pretty hard
to take that away." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, 65.
28
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk," http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
29
Haider-Markel, Out and Running, 287.
30
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk,"
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
31
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 24.
32
Ibid., 220.
33
“1978 San Francisco Gay Day Parade.” From Calisphere: The LGBT Pride Parade.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/kt1k40341v/z1&&brand=calisphere
34
Milk, "There's got to be a lot more Harvey Milks." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by
Vince Emery, 169.
6
gays, thus helping the movement transition from obscurity to mainstream knowledge.35
Because the beer was removed from all gay bars in San Francisco, this influence over a
large share of the market drew attention to gays and forced larger companies to
acknowledge their standing.
Before Milk arrived in San Francisco, any semblance of queer self-expression had
to happen at night in places like The Black Cat Bar,where they risked arrest if caught.36
Clearly, being gay meant living a double life, with one kept in the metaphorical closet.
Milk, deemed “the Mayor of Castro Street,” created an area that identified with gay
culture and was economically successful and nationally renown.37 The new reputation of
the Castro district effectively created a space for gays in San Francisco. His assassination
elicited widespread sympathy,38 the shocking reality of death was enough to elicit
support from those who had previously only considered it, as seen in the candlelight
vigil.39 Therefore, the brutality of the situation opened up the movement to support from
more than just homosexuals, as all groups participated in the candlelight vigil. His death
spurred further work on the part of gay rights activists,40 showing the impact Milk had
in death. His legacy also inspired the creation of awards and titles41 that display the
symbolic significance of his activity on the gay rights movement.
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 24.
Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, 24.
37
Boyd,Wide Open Town, 154.
38
"Nation: Another Day of Death." TIME Magazine, December 11, 1978
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919893-5,00.html.
39
“Candlelight march for Harvey Milk on the night of his assassination.” Photograph.
http://www.qualiafolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CndlMarch-c.jpg
40
Cloud, "The Pioneer Harvey Milk," http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
41
Steinhauer, Jennifer. "Schwarzenegger Will Honor Gay Activist." The New York
Times.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/us/13milk.html?ref=harveymilk&_r=0
35
36
7
E. Conclusion
Harvey Milk transformed the gay rights movement in San Francisco by abolishing
passive acceptance of marginalization through the use of political activism--legislation,
alliances, and organizations. He prefigured an increase of out politicians, professionals,
and leaders that were inspired not only by his flamboyance but by his rhetorical
commitment to the promulgation of the idea that gays should not have to hide; that they
could live successfully in society. By connecting the movement to other concerns in
society, and by furthering the awareness that there was such a thing as a gay community
in San Francisco, he helped to legitimize the concerns of the community as a real social
group with important goals and concerns. He also played the role of an icon. His brutal
death soon after election transformed him into a symbol of social justice that guided and
fueled movements for equality after his death, something that resurfaces today in the
form of holidays and awards.
8
Appendix A
“Candlelight march for Harvey Milk on the night of his assassination.” Photograph.
http://www.qualiafolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CndlMarch-c.jpg
Ueda, Marie. “1978 San Francisco Gay Day Parade.” Photograph. From Calisphere: The
LGBT Pride Parade.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/kt1k40341v/z1&&bran
d=calisphere
9
Bibliography
Boyd, Nan A. Wide Open Town: a history of Queer San Francisco to 1965. London, England:
University of California Press, Ltd., 2003.
Bronski, Michael. A Queer History of the United States. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon
Press, 2011.
“Candlelight march for Harvey Milk on the night of his assassination.” Photograph.
http://www.qualiafolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CndlMarch-c.jpg
Cloud, John. "The Pioneer Harvey Milk." TIME Magazine, June 14, 1999
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,991276,00.html.
"Forum, Sep. 29, 1975." TIME Magazine, September 29, 1975
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,913452-1,00.html.
Haider-Markel, Donald P. Out and Running: Gay and Lesian Candidates, Elections, and Policy
Representation. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2010.
Milk, Harvey. "I'm not a gay candidate, but a candidate who happens to be gay." In The
Harvey Milk Interviews: In His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, San Francisco,
CA: Vince Emery Productions, 2012.
Milk, Harvey. "If they give you a crumb, they can take that crumb away. But if they give
you freedom, it's pretty hard to take that away." In The Harvey Milk Interviews: In
His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, San Francisco, CA: Vince Emery
Productions, 2012.
Milk, Harvey. "There's got to be a lot more Harvey Milks." In The Harvey Milk Interviews:
In His Own Words, edited by Vince Emery, San Francisco, CA: Vince Emery
Productions, 2012.
"Nation: Another Day of Death." TIME Magazine, December 11, 1978
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919893-5,00.html.
Shilts, Randy. The Mayor of Castro Street. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1982.
10
Steinhauer, Jennifer. "Schwarzenegger Will Honor Gay Activist." The New York Times,
October 12, 2009, sec. US.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/us/13milk.html?ref=harveymilk&_r=0.
Ueda, Marie. “1978 San Francisco Gay Day Parade.” Photograph. From Calisphere: The
LGBT Pride Parade.
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/kt1k40341v/z1&&bran
d=calisphere
11