Harvey Milk is now considered on of the most influential individuals regarding the LGBTQIA rights movement. Milk spent most of his life fighting for LGBTQIA rights and was one of the first openly gay individuals to hold public office. Milk a San Francisco supervisor along with Mayor George Moscone was assassinated on November 27, 1978 by former supervisor Dan White. This essay will tell the life story of Harvey Milk what he achieved as an openly public figure that eventually lead to his death. This essay will also take a look at the trial of Dan White; the evidence presented and explained the defense theory that has been dubbed as the “Twinkie defense”. Lastly I will look at the sentencing and give my perspective on the case. What was done …show more content…
At this point San Francisco had a growing gay population and Milk’s store soon became a neighborhood spot. Milk first ran for public office in 1975; Milk ran for the San Francisco City/County supervisor a race, which he lost. After his loss Mayor George Moscone (a friend of Milk) appointed Milk to the city’s Board of Permit Appeals. This appointment made Milk the first openly gay city commissioner in the United States. Milk then ran to become a state assemblyman but lost that race. He later ran again in 1977, he won and was inaugurated as San Francisco’s first openly gay City-County Supervisor and the first in the United States. This was a very important win for the LGBTQIA community because Milk was an openly gay man and the win made national and international …show more content…
Before becoming a city supervisor Dan White was a former police officer, firefighter and a war Vietnam War veteran. White was very conservative and opposed both Milk’s and Moscone’s views and political agenda. White was disturbed with the changes in the San Francisco community and America in general. He believed in traditional values and was disgusted with the support for the gay community. White was elected in 1977 and once Milk was elected they often clashed on issues. In 1978, White claimed that he could not support his family on his salary