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Loading ...Harvey Milk Lives
But Milk was right, and his timid opponents were wrong. California proved a breakwater for the tidal wave of anti-gay ballot initiatives, and Prop 6 went down in defeat, 25 to 75 percent, after early polling had shown it winning in a landslide.
Just as we did during the AIDS epidemic, many activists find themselves asking, what would Harvey do now?
“I think that Harvey is smiling that we’re even here,” Milk’s lesbian campaign manager and aide Anne Kronenberg said after the premiere of “Milk” in San Francisco last month. “In thirty years, we’ve gone from the paranoid idea that having a lesbian teacher can make you into a dyke to talking about marriage.”
Jones said much the same. “If someone had told me back in 1973 that in the year 2008 we’d be fighting for the right to get married and join the military, I probably would have started dating women,” he told me, laughing.
“People keep saying, where’s the leadership? Who’s the Harvey Milk? And I wish there was a Harvey around to carry this banner,” Jones went on. “But what is really heartening to me thirty years later is all these young people whose names are not yet known to us who are organizing in new ways. I went to the payphone with a bunch of dimes and called everyone who called everyone, but today they do it on Facebook. It’s a new wave of leadership.”
At the 1978 Pride march in San Francisco, standing on the steps of City Hall, Harvey Milk told the crowd, “History says that, like all groups seeking their rights, sooner or later we will win. The question is: when?”
As “Milk” opens across the country on the very weekend of Harvey’s death, as the LBGT community protests in front of government buildings and churches just as it did in the days of Anita Bryant’s “Save the Children” campaign, as new leaders consciously and unconsciously inspired by Harvey Milk’s example fight for equality and freedom, the answer to that question may well turn out to be “now.”
Harvey Milk, and his legacy, live in us.
Christie Keith is a journalist and fourth generation native San Franciscan. She shook Harvey Milk’s hand when she was in high school, and was at the White Night Riot. She still lives in San Francisco.
During the 60’s, the politics of assassination was on a national scale JFK,MLK,RFK, and most of our hope, for a better America died with our leaders. In the 70’s, San Francisco gay community was made up of many segments, and transplants like Harvey from N.Y. and myself from Chicago and others from big cities or small town USA. However, it should not be over looked… we had help from
Mayor Moscone, who showed up at our sporting events, spoke to the Gay Golden gate Business Association, appointed gays to his administration and wrote letters to the gay newspapers… and marched with us, when it was not yet fashionable for a non-gay politician to be seen in our community. The “MILK” movie, will introduce both Harvey and George to generations who had no idea who they were… or how they died. The difference today… there are so few gay politicians with leadership qualities, and many celebrities coming OUT, but are not politically involved. In my lifetime, we have had great successes… many that had their roots in the early gay S.F. movements, that have made
their ways throughout America’s big cities… but until there
are gay rights in small and rural America… the fight goes on. But it won’t happen, unless we all are involved and know our history… we can, together make the changes needed… and the time for change is alway NOW!
Thank you, Jerry!
I came out in ‘83 at the age of 22. The movie “The Times of Harvey Milk” made a major impact on me. (As did buying TONS of gay lit and plowing my way through it. On the short list, thank you Armisted Maupin, Edmund White, and Ethan Mordden.) The whole documentary is great, but I particularly loved the speech in which he said, “[You can react to local bigotry] by moving to San Francisco. [pause for effect] Or you can stay in Des Moines and fight for your rights there.” Darn right!
Harvey Milk is one of the reasons why I decided to live a very openly gay life. My mother–who wasn’t particularly helpful or explicitly supportive of me being openly gay in the 80’s and 90’s–said a year ago or so, “All the progress we are seeing is due to all those brave people who fought hard twenty years ago.” That’s the closest she’ll come to saying that she’s proud of me.
Thanks, mom. Thanks, Harvey!
I’ve only been out to myself about 2 years now. Not too long after the realization I began reading about Harvey Milk. I was sixteen when he died. I remembered it as history but that was all. When I began reading about Harvey I immediately saw what a loss his death was to our community and to others as well. He made me want to come out to everyone. When straights and gays would say things such as, “Why is it anyone’s business what we do in our own bedrooms?” I would think of Harvey and what he believed. That letting people know that they know more gay people than they think and that we are normal the way we are. Not monsters as we are painted, but thier sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, coworkers, doctors, etc. That the very act of coming out is a mighty thing indeed. I wish we could all come out as he wished and never crawl back in the closet. He knew living honestly was the best thing we could do for the movement. Not always the easiest, but the best.
I have a tattoo on my arm that says “Erase Hate” underneath it is the date Matthew Shepard died and underneath that another date of a killing caused by senseless hate, then yesterday I added to it. The quote ” You gotta give them hope.” and then the date Nov. 27, 1978.
I did it to honor Harvey and to remind me to work towards that end.
I hope this movie shows people just who Harvey was and what he did for the “us’s”. There are so many even in the LGBT community who don’t know who he is. That’s sad. But it will change.
Thanks for letting me rant.
“The difference today… there are so few gay politicians with leadership qualities, and many celebrities coming OUT, but are not politically involved.”
If only Rachel Maddow wasn’t too busy, or cared about gay politics.
One minor error in an other wise great review. It was 30 years ago, not 40 years ago. I remember driving my car and hearing on the radio that the mayor and a supervisor had been shot and killed at city hall. My immediate reaction was that it was probably Milk, and I was very sad to learn shortly after that it was. I did not know Harvey well, but I did shop at his camera store regularly (the days of Super8 film!).
The mention of thirty vs forty years needs to be posted to the review of the film… I had 30 on this article, but Brian had 40 in his review.
I’ll send him a note.
Please don’t go to ANY Cinemark owned theaters (Cinemark, Century, CinéArts,
and Tinseltown) to watch the new “Milk” movie. The CEO of Cinemark, Alan Stock, donated $9,999 dollars to Yes on Prop. 8. Click here for more info. Here is the website in case the link doesn’t work:
http://nomilkforcinemark.com/
Why is this movie so impossible to see?! Boycott Cinemark?!? How can you boycott a theater where it’s not playing. In fact, it’s not really playing anywhere. It’s at two theaters in all of LA. I saw it was only in 3 in San Francisco. One being the Castro Theater (which is interesting since they never play first run films except for festivals.) It says limited release. Will that change to unlimited at any point? The only city where it seems to be playing at more that a handful of theaters is New York. I can’t find any info about that…
Oh, I was 11 when he was killed. I still remember seeing it on the news. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that being gay could get you hurt, or worse. Who needs to learn that in 6th grade?!
“For the chains and bars are not on me.Worn by the ones who is strong of fear, stupidity & plain ignorance”.
I doubt anyone knows where this statement is from.
Thank you so much for this, I got to it through Daily Kos. It has helped to inform me about something very close to me because of my relatives.
The “Milk” movie is currently in limited engagement mode. It will open nationwide on Friday, December 5th!!!
Curently this movie is getting a 93/100 rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, so that’s a good sign!
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009495-milk/
God does not look kindly on the gay life.
Judges 19:1-30
Leviticus 18:22
Leviticus 20:13
Barb Said: “God does not look kindly on the gay life.”
I do not look kindly on your evil, hate-filled god or his religious fanatical following.
**Barb, continue reading Leviticus sweetheart, he (she) does’nt look too kind on WOMEN, hope you enjoying those MONTHLY CRAMPS and that Bleeding gash! Your kind ate that darn apple Right? (Gosh darn, I have Palin moment coming on!!) Hmm.
So it’s all your fault! LET me get my stones ready! You filthy disgusting vile sinner! ehhh.
And if you ate seafood lately or any grilled meat or if you let your husband (god forbid someone even married your ugly self) then you are even worse a sinner and we better get some really big stones for you!
Love how you passed the 4th grade and you find 3 things in your little bible to tell someone what GOD wants, etc.
Who died and made you god or anyone else on this earth?
So take your tired, hateful ass right on to the afterlife and leave us all alone….