Harvey Milk, assassinated 11/27/78

[gogo]

The SF Chronicle's got a great on-line section with people's stories from that day, his legacy, etc.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/harveymilk/

 

If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.

Despite the fact that this is one of his most famous lines, Dan White did not actually shoot Harvey Milk because Milk was gay; there were much more convoluted political reasons that probably explain his motives a lot better.

 

 

Somewhere in Des Moines or San Antonio there is a young gay person who all the sudden realizes that he or she is gay; knows that if their parents find out they will be tossed out of the house, their classmates will taunt the child, and the Anita Bryant's and John Briggs' are doing their part on TV. And that child has several options: staying in the closet, and suicide. And then one day that child might open the paper that says "Homosexual elected in San Francisco" and there are two new options: the option is to go to California, or stay in San Antonio and fight. Two days after I was elected I got a phone call and the voice was quite young. It was from Altoona, Pennsylvania. And the person said "Thanks". And you've got to elect gay people, so that thousand upon thousands like that child know that there is hope for a better world; there is hope for a better tomorrow. Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's: without hope the us's give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you, and you have got to give them hope.

 

 

In a 1993 debate over a gun-control measure with Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Craig told Feinstein she

[cryptique]

Salon has a lengthy review of the film today.

[NightOfJoy]

Theres a good documentary on Milk......made in the early 80s....'Life and Times of Harvey Milk' I believe its called.

[cryptique]

CNN review

[bjorn_skurj]

New York Times loved it, which is good enough for me.

[LouieB]

I saw the trailer on this recently at a show and it looks really great. They seem to have nailed the fashions and hairstyles. Can't wait.

 

LouieB

[Guest Speed Racer]

Theres a good documentary on Milk......made in the early 80s....'Life and Times of Harvey Milk' I believe its called.

 

It's wonderful. You know how it's going to end, but it's still such a shock. I absolutely recommend it.

[Beltmann]

The Times of Harvey Milk won the 1985 Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.

 

When I first saw the documentary (about 10 years ago), it made a huge impact on me. I remember thinking that the story would make a great feature, so I wasn't shocked when Van Sant eventually announced such plans--although I was surprised to learn that it was one of two competing productions. Obviously Van Sant finished first; the Bryan Singer one is still scheduled for release next year.

 

Can't wait for Milk to arrive in Milwaukee.

[gogo]

San Francisco Magazine's got a great article about the history of the movie, the competing projects, how lucky we were that this thing didn't end up being directed by Oliver Stone and starring Robin Williams, etc.