Harvey Milk American politician Date of Birth: 22.05.1930 Country: USA

Biography of Harvey Milk

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. He gained a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk initially had little interest in politics or the fight for LGBT rights until he openly acknowledged his homosexuality at the age of 40. In 1972, during the mass migration of gay men to the Castro District, a neighborhood in San Francisco known today as a hub for the LGBTQ+ community, Milk moved from New York City to San Francisco. He utilized the growing political and economic power of the district to establish himself in the city's political scene. His vibrant and vocal campaigns earned him popularity not only among members of the LGBTQ+ community. After three unsuccessful attempts, Milk finally won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, at a time when the city was undergoing extensive social changes. His election to public office became a pivotal component of these changes.

Milk served in office for almost 11 months before being assassinated at his workplace in the city hall on November 27, 1978. His former colleague on the Board of Supervisors, Dan White, entered the building armed and shot both Mayor George Moscone, who had refused to reinstate White on the board after he had resigned, and Harvey Milk. White fired five shots at each of his victims at close range. Despite his short political career, Milk became a symbol of San Francisco and a martyr for the LGBTQ+ community. Even many years later, in 2002, Milk was referred to as "the most famous and most significant openly gay person ever elected in the United States." He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, New York, Harvey Milk was raised in a Lithuanian Jewish family. His grandfather, Morris Milk, owned a department store and was one of the founders of the first synagogue in their area. In his childhood, Milk was often teased for his protruding ears, large nose, and oversized feet. However, with his innate sense of humor, he managed to cope with the teasing and gained a reputation as the class comedian. He played football in school and developed a love for opera. Milk discovered his own homosexuality as a teenager but kept it a strict secret from others.

After graduating from high school in 1947, Milk enrolled at the State University of New York College in Albany (now the University at Albany) and graduated in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. During his time in college, Milk worked for the student newspaper and earned a reputation as a sociable and friendly student. None of his friends from school or college suspected that he was gay. One of his classmates recalled that Milk always appeared to be a "real man."

Following college, Milk joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War. He worked on a submarine, served as a diving instructor in the military, and after returning home, became a diving instructor at a naval base. In 1955, Harvey was honorably discharged from the Navy with the rank of lieutenant and began teaching at a school on Long Island. He had several romantic relationships during this time, with the longest lasting six years. Milk moved and changed career paths multiple times, including working in the insurance business and on Wall Street, but he always returned to New York. Each time, he had to keep his personal life a strict secret from his family and colleagues, which was emotionally challenging.

When he found himself alone once again, Milk contemplated marrying his lesbian friend to provide a cover for both of them while still retaining their freedom of choice. However, instead of pursuing this plan, Milk moved to San Francisco in 1969 with his new partner. San Francisco, a port city on the West Coast, had a significant gay population since the end of World War II, and by the late 1960s, affluent members of the LGBTQ+ community from all over the country were flocking to the city, buying up entire neighborhoods. By the early 1970s, San Francisco had become a city where gay people wielded political and economic power that had to be reckoned with. It was against this backdrop that Harvey Milk's political campaigns took place.

His killer received only a seven-year prison sentence for his crimes and was released early. However, White was unable to find forgiveness and acceptance from his wife and children, leading him to take his own life in 1985.