Background:
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to a political position in the United States. Before this he had served in the Korean War and worked as a Wall Street investment banker.
Political Career:
Milk was elected to the position of San Francisco City Supervisor in 1977. An article in Time Magazine on the 100 most important people of the past century explained,
"As supervisor, Milk sponsored only two laws — predictably, one barring anti-gay discrimination, and, less so, a law forcing dog owners to clean pets' messes from sidewalks. He lobbied for the latter with a staged amble through a park that ended with his stepping in it...[H]e explained the stunt this way: All over the country, they're reading about me, and the story doesn't center on me being gay. It's just about a gay person who is doing his job."
The Murder:
A year into the job, Milk was murdered alongside San Francisco mayor, George Moscone. The shooter was a fellow politician, Dan White, who was an outspoken anti-gay conservative.
White was convicted of manslaughter and received a sentence of 8 years and 7 months. Many people felt this sentence was too lenient and rioted in the streets.
Milk's Legacy:
Harvey Milk is remembered for being openly gay at a time when few public figures were. Many see him as someone who paved the way for openly gay men and women to enter fields that had previously been closed to them.
Today numerous gay organizations have been named after Harvey Milk, including a public high school in New York City.
Final Words:
As if predicting his political success might put him in jeopardy, Milk wrote in his will, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door." Though not every closet door has been destroyed, thirty years after his murder, it would seem that many more have been swung open.
