Harvey Milk Essay

Introduction The history of gay activism is vast, encompassing the collective fight for liberation by individuals, groups, and communities. While the work of past activists has played a central role in spearheading the fight for liberation and advancing social justice movements, it is necessary that their stories do not fall prey to the artifice of historical amnesia. From the outset of his political career, Harvey Milk was a steadfast contributor to the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement. In an age where Milk’s identity was heavily stigmatized, his commitment towards disrupting systems of oppression and affirming the rights of the queer community was paramount towards effecting positive change in the United States. Through a review of academic literature

In 1977, Harvey became the first openly gay man to win a major political office in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (Harvey Milk Foundation). After taking office, Milk was determined to provide a political space where the queer community could be represented and celebrated (Milk, Black, and Morris 2013, xvii). To that effect, Milk understood the struggle for equality for the queer community to be part of America’s “unfinished democratic practice” where he was determined to weave the demands for gay rights into a framework that emphasized the country’s commitment to liberty and equality (Hall 2010, pg. 559). Ultimately, in a period where government-sanctioned homophobia permeated American politics, Milk was determined to mobilize advocacy efforts to disrupt homophobic policies and practices in American institutions (Patterson 2008). As a leader and visionary, Milk placed his personal security in a volatile position to advance the fight for equality and create a political landscape free from

Within a present-day context, attacks against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community continue to perpetuate in the United States. As such, since the beginning of 2023, at least 417 anti-2SLGBTQIA+ have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States (Choi 2023). Most of these bills are directly focused on education and healthcare, with a heavy focus on eliminating discussions around gender identity and sexuality in schools and banning access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth (Choi 2023). Together, these bills are particularly relevant to Milk’s activist work in the 1970’s. Where Milk was a steadfast contributor in counteracting Proposition 6, a bill designed to prevent 2SLGBTQIA+ from teaching, his work may be used as a model for demanding legislative change to strike down anti-2SLGBTQIA+ bills in the United States (Hall 2010, pg. 559). In an age where anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiments continue to pervade American politics; it is necessary that political leaders are willing to demand accountability and encourage the mobilization of the population to counteract harmful