Contents
Harvey Milk
Becoming a pioneering openly gay elected official and campaigning for gay rights.
Election breakthrough · Civil-rights ordinance
- Born
- 22 May 1930
- Birthplace
- Woodmere, United States
- Died
- 27 November 1978
More people
Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk was a San Francisco supervisor and gay-rights campaigner. Elected in 1977, he was assassinated with Mayor George Moscone the following year.
Early life
New York upbringing
Grew up on Long Island in a Jewish family.
Mathematics studies
Graduated from the New York State College for Teachers in Albany in 1951.
Career
- 1950s–1960s
Before politics
Served in the Navy, taught school and worked in finance and theatre.
- 1970s
Castro organising
Ran a camera shop and campaigned for office in San Francisco.
- 1977–1978
City supervisor
Won election and helped secure protections against sexual-orientation discrimination.
Selected work
Election breakthrough
Became California’s first openly gay man elected to public office.
Civil-rights ordinance
Sponsored protections in housing, employment and public accommodation.
Briggs Initiative campaign
Helped defeat a proposal targeting gay and lesbian public-school teachers.
Beyond work
Opera
Developed a lifelong enthusiasm for opera while young.
Posthumous recognition
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and achievements ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
.jpg){kind=link}