h Magazine's hmonthly.com

Harvey Milk – Icon

Posted on 05. Nov, 2008 by Administrator in Profiles

words by Jason Dean

There was a lot of noise about glass ceilings being shattered this election season. Two candidates – an African American and a woman – were dueling it out, each hoping to earn the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Just a few years ago, such a scenario would have been fodder for compelling fiction. 

Three decades ago, an equally notable breakthrough occurred. Harvey Milk, the colorful, self-proclaimed “Mayor of Castro Street”, became the first openly gay person to win a major election when he captured a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. But the dream abruptly turned into a nightmare when Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a disgruntled former board member on Nov. 27, 1978. 

Outrage reverberated throughout the gay community, coming to a head after the light sentence given to Dan White for the killings, due in part to what infamously became known as “the Twinkie defense”. White’s lawyers had claimed that depression, coupled with a massive intake of junk food had contributed to his “unpremeditated” actions on that day. White was paroled after serving just five years of a seven-year prison sentence. A year-and-a-half later, he committed suicide. 

As the 30-year anniversary of Milk’s death approaches, it is a fitting time to revisit the fiery politician’s contributions to smashing existing social prejudices. The California Supreme Court voted earlier this year to overturn its ban on same-sex marriage. (A measure challenging this ruling, Proposition 8, will go before voters on Nov. 4.) Gus Van Sant directed the soon to be released Milk, a major motion picture starring Sean Penn as Milk.

Filmmaker Rob Epstein’s 1984 documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk, paints a definitive portrait of the small business owner – turned political gate crasher. Epstein currently sits on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He recently took a few moments to reflect on Milk’s legacy. “I knew Harvey casually through his shop, Castro Camera. It was just this funky-ass neighborhood camera store where I would drop off my film. Harvey would make it his business to know the business of every person who walked across his threshold. I remember one time as I was walking out of the store, Harvey looked up and called out ‘Hey, Epstein!’ to get my attention and followed it up with a very saucy comment. He had an outrageous side to his personality and he enjoyed tweaking people in a fun-loving, disarming way.” 

Oddly enough, Milk’s early political leanings were conservative. In fact, the New York native backed Republican candidate Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign. By 1972, however, Milk had moved to San Francisco and his ideology evolved to a more liberal stance. He ran unsuccessfully for public office twice before finally being elected in 1977. “I was not a big follower of Harvey’s professional career, and in fact voted for him in two elections but not in the final one,” recalls Epstein. “But over the course of the Proposition 6/Briggs Initiative campaign – which was the ‘No on 8’ battle of its day – I came to see Harvey in a way that I hadn’t before: This guy is really standing for something, he’s not just about getting elected to political office.” More than a straight biography, Epstein says he wanted his film to be a document of the times and the effect Milk had on the gay rights movement. “Gus’s film fills in the blanks of The Times of Harvey Milk beautifully; it’s a much more personal, intimate, yet epic telling of the Harvey Milk story.” 

Today, Milk’s lasting influence is apparent. The Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy operates as a small, public elementary school in the Castro District. Harvey Milk High School in Manhattan offers an alternative learning option to students who have had difficulty feeling accepted in other high schools. In Orange County and San Diego, Harvey Milk Scholarship funds provide financial assistance to students who are committed to finishing school and working to benefit their communities. 

Epstein recognizes that the groundbreaking events in current national politics recall the political climate of change that existed in San Francisco in the 1970s. “Harvey Milk and Barack Obama are kindred spirits, for sure. When people ask me, ‘If Harvey had lived, where would he be today?’, I respond: On the Obama/Milk ticket.”

Related Posts

• Milk: Got Oscars? – h Interviews

Tags: Harvey Milk