Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
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By Simran Takhi 

As someone who is so inspired by the efforts of LGBT rights activist Harvey Milk, the lack of reference to him in popular culture saddens me. His activism, on the behalf of LGBT and minority groups, made him a foremost leader of the US gay rights movement and this, of course, needs to be celebrated.

The atmosphere in 1960s and 70s America was particularly toxic towards LGBT members. This was seen with the 1969 Stonewall riots, a response to the unnecessary police raid in The Stonewall Inn bar. There was a general air that anything other than being heterosexual was alien and should be disclosed from society.  Milk himself, having known he was gay  since the age of 14, kept this secret for several years due to hostile culture towards those who identified as gay.

After engaging in several careers such as teaching and finance, Milk moved to San Francisco with his lover at the time Scott Smith. Upon moving, he became immersed in the cultural and political climate that surrounded him. He was aware of the hostility towards those who identified as LGBT and set himself the goal of becoming the first gay person to be elected to office.

One of the main turning points in Milk’s life that led him to become the first ever openly gay citizen to be elected, was the opening of the camera store Castro Camera on Castro street. Little did he and Scott know that, thanks to Milk’s sense of humour, charisma and passion, this would naturally invite others who identified as LGBT to socialise in store. Milk and Scott would eventually go on to create an exhilarating power base that would advocate for the rights of LGBT members. Many San Franciscans  were now  able to feel that they had a safe place to call home in an area that was otherwise so unwelcoming.

This powerful support network, meant that, in 1973, Milk announced that he was going to campaign to be elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors, putting his passion and concern for minority groups into action. For many, the most inspiring part of Milk’s story is the fact that it took him four times to succeed in becoming the only gay citizen to be on the board of supervisors. Despite losses, Milk thrived on the fact that each campaign would see an increase in voters each time.

During his protests, Milk would often shout, “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you!” in a bid to capture the interests of the public.  In 1977, victory was finally achieved thanks to Milk and his network of supporters’ endless campaigning, resulting in him being elected as a supervisor and therefore into office. American politics finally had LGBT representation and, therefore, a promise for a change in bigoted attitudes.

“My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you!”

With Milk being in office, he now had bigger fish to fry: to try and block Proposition 6. Proposition 6 referred to legislation which would allow homosexual teachers to be banned from working with children, due to concerns of child molestation. Proposition 6 eventually became defeated by millions of votes, another victory at the hands of Milk’s campaigns, powerful speeches and television debates against bigots.

Milk’s eerie sense of foresight also plays a huge part in his life story. In 1978, having only been in office for a year, Milk was shot multiple times by Dan White, a fellow member on the board of supervisors. Harvey and Dan White had clashed over several issues such as pay rises. However, other than disagreements, there was no other obvious motive for Milk’s murder.

Amazingly, it was concluded that it was the combination of White’s poor diet and depression which led to the killing of Milk and this became known as the ‘Twinkie Defence’. Milk had been prepared for this day to come and had tape recorded a will in which he explicitly stated that it should  be read out in the event of his own assassination. Through his will, one of his more well-known quotes could be heard: ‘‘If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet shatter every closet door.” Part of Milk’s legacy, therefore, is letting these words resonate for generations to come.

If you’d like to learn more about Harvey Milk’s story, check out the 2008 biopic Milk for a great insight into the life and achievements of a truly forgotten hero.