By 1973, Harvey Milk had already been many things: naval officer, high school teacher, bit-part actor, and wandering hippie. But as he embarked on yet another life running a camera shop in San Francisco, he already found himself distracted. From the Watergate hearings on national news, to the teacher who had to rent a projector when her school couldn’t afford one, Harvey saw a desperate need for political reform.
Do 1973. godine, Harvi Milk je već radio mnogo stvari: bio je pomorski oficir, profesor u srednjoj školi, glumac u kratkim scenama i lutajući hipik. Ali, dok je počinjao još jedan život vlasnika prodavnice foto-aparata u San Francisku, već mu je pažnja odlutala negde drugde. Od saslušanja o Votergejtu na nacionalnim vestima do nastavnice koja je morala da iznajmi projektor jer ga škola nije mogla priuštiti, Harvi je video očajničku potrebu za političkim reformama.
Milk strongly believed that tight knit neighborhoods were essential to the fabric of the city, and that government should solve those community’s most practical problems. From fixing potholes and putting up stop signs, to promoting a friendly culture of cooperation, Milk envisioned a more personal approach to local government.
Milk je snažno verovao da su usko povezana naselja od ključnog značaja za strukturu grada i da vlada treba da rešava te najpraktičnije probleme zajednice. Od popravljanja rupa na putevima i postavljanja znakova za zaustavljanje do promovisanja prijateljske kulture saradnje, Milk je zamislio ličniji pristup lokalnoj upravi.
This philosophy led him to run for the city’s Board of Supervisors as the representative for his own district, which included the heart of American gay culture, the Castro. At this time, police brutality, discrimination and media stereotyping plagued the LGBT community, labeling Harvey and his supporters as political outsiders. But Milk refused to downplay his sexuality. He was sure that gay rights could never be won from the closet, and he saw the Castro as one of many minorities without representation in city politics. Milk was determined to bring these basic government services to all of San Francisco’s disenfranchised groups, regardless of race, age, or sexuality.
Ova filozofija ga je navela da se kandiduje za gradski Odbor supervizora kao predstavnik svog okruga koji je obuhvatao srce američke gej kulture, Kastro. U to vreme su policijska brutalnost, diskriminacija i stereotipi u medijima harali LGBT zajednicom, zbog čega su Harvi i njegove pristalice dobili etiketu političkih autsajdera. Ali Milk je odbio da stavi u zapećak svoju seksualnost. Bio je siguran da se gej prava ne mogu dobiti skrivajući se i video je Kastro kao jednu od mnogih manjina bez zastupljenosti u gradskoj politici. Milk je bio odlučan da donese ove osnovne vladine usluge svim obespravljenim grupama u San Francisku, bez obzira na rasu, starost ili seksualnost.
But despite his flair for public speaking and open-hearted approach, voters couldn’t see Milk’s radical vision. In 1973, he lost his first bid for the Board of Supervisors. In 1975, he lost again. A year later, he ran for the California Assembly– and lost. Yet he tirelessly continued to support his district, befriending bartenders, construction unions, and local Chinese grocers. This earned him the affectionate title, the "mayor of Castro Street.” And when he ran his third campaign for the Board of Supervisors in 1977, Harvey finally won the seat– becoming one of the first openly gay public officials in US history.
Ali, uprkos njegovom smislu za javni govor i otvorenom pristupu, glasači nisu mogli da vide Milkovu radikalnu viziju. Godine 1973, izgubio je prvo nadmetanje za Odbor supervizora. Godine 1975, izgubio je ponovo. Godinu dana kasnije, kandidovao se za skupštinu u Kaliforniji i izgubio. Ipak, neumorno je nastavio da podržava svoj okrug, sprijateljio se sa barmenima, građevinskim sindikatima i lokalnim kineskim trgovcima. Time je dobio titulu od milja „gradonačelnik Ulice Kastro“. A kada je vodio svoju treću kampanju za Odbor supervizora 1977. godine, Harvi je konačno osvojio fotelju, čime je postao jedan od prvih javnih zvaničnika
Elated, Milk arrived in office determined to make lasting change. He immediately introduced a bill outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and launched a major clean-up of the city. But not everyone was happy with this direction. Anti-gay sentiment was gaining national momentum, especially in the form of California’s Proposition 6.
u američkoj istoriji koji su se otvoreno deklarisali kao pripadnici gej populacije. Ushićen, Milk je stupio na funkciju rešen da donese trajne promene. Odmah je uveo zakon kojim se zabranjuje diskriminacija na osnovu seksualnosti i pokrenuo veliko čišćenje grada. Ali, nisu svi bili zadovoljni ovim pravcem dešavanja. Antigej raspoloženje je dobijalo nacionalni zamah, naročito u obliku Kalifornijskog predloga 6.
The proposition, which sought to make it illegal for homosexuals to work in Californian schools, would prove to be the biggest battle of Milk’s career. Supporters of Prop 6 attacked the LGBT community, calling them unfit to work with students. But Milk urged them not to hide in fear: “Come out to your relatives. Come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors, to your fellow workers… break down the myths. Destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake. For their sake.” Alongside other activists, he ran an incandescent campaign against hate.
Ovaj predlog, koji je zahtevao da se proglasi nezakonitim da homoseksualci rade u kalifornijskim školama pokazaće se kao najveća bitka u Milkovoj karijeri. Pristalice Predloga 6 napadale su LGBT zajednicu, nazivajući ih nepodobnim za rad sa učenicima. Ali Milk ih je podsticao da se ne kriju u strahu: „Razotkrijte se svojim rođacima. Razotkrijte se prijateljima, ako su vam zaista prijatelji. Razotkrijte se komšijama, kolegama... srušite mitove. Uništite laži i izvrtanje stvarnosti. Za vaše dobro. Za njihovo dobro.“ Zajedno sa drugim aktivistima, vodio je užarenu kampanju protiv mržnje.
On November 7, 1978, Prop 6 was defeated in a landslide. It was proof that Milk’s message was gaining traction. But just twenty days after this inspiring victory, he was assassinated at City Hall– killed alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.
Dana 7. novembra 1978, Predlog 6 je poražen velikom većinom. Bio je to dokaz da je Milkova poruka dobila na snazi. Ali samo dvadeset dana nakon ove inspirativne pobede, ubijen je u gradskoj većnici zajedno sa gradonačelnikom San Franciska Džordžom Moskonijem.
Both men had been murdered by Dan White, a former fellow supervisor, who had positioned himself against those he called "radicals, social deviates and incorrigibles.” He had frequently clashed with Harvey at Board meetings, and resented the spirit of change which Milk personified for many. The night of Milk's murder, thousands marched by candlelight through the city.
Obojicu ih je ubio Den Vajt, bivši supervizor koji je zastupao poziciju protiv onih koje je nazivao „radikalima, društveno devijantnima i nepopravljivima“. Često se sukobljavao sa Harvijem na sastancima odbora i prezirao je duh promena čijim su oličenjem mnogi smatrali Harvija. Te noći uoči Milkovog ubistva, hiljade ljudi je marširalo kroz grad uz svetlost sveća.
In the wake of this tragedy, yet another injustice arose. In a highly controversial verdict, White received a sentence of only seven years and eight months– a decision that sparked uproar throughout the city in what became known as the White Night Riots.
Odmah nakon ove tragedije, dogodila se još jedna nepravda. U veoma kontroverznoj presudi, Vajt je dobio kaznu od samo sedam godina i osam meseci, što je odluka koja je podstakla metež kroz ceo grad u okviru onoga što je poznato pod imenom Nemiri belih noći.
But even after his death, Milk continued to preach his hopeful cause. He left his friends and followers a total of three different tapes to be played in the event of his assassination. They leave us with a call to action, and a reminder that everyone is welcome in the fight against injustice: "I ask for the movement to continue… and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door…”
Ali, i nakon svoje smrti, Milk je nastavio da propoveda svoju misiju punu nade. Ostavio je svojim prijateljima i sledbenicima tri različite trake da se puštaju u slučaju njegovog ubistva. Ostavljaju nam poziv na akciju i podsetnik da su svi dobrodošli u borbi protiv nepravde: „Tražim da se pokret nastavi... i ako metak uđe u moj mozak, neka taj metak uništi sva vrata iza kojih se gej ljudi kriju...“