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.
到 1973 年時, 哈維米爾克已經有許多身份: 海軍軍官、高中老師、 小角色演員,以及流浪的嬉皮。 但,當他開始從事另一種生活, 在舊金山經營一間相機店, 他已經發現他自己的 注意力被拉走了。 從全國新聞上的水門案聽證會, 到因為學校無法負擔投影機 導致老師必須要去租借, 哈維看到了政治改革的迫切需求。
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.
米爾克堅信,讓城市的鄰里 緊密地交織在一起是必不可少的, 且政府應該要為社區解決 它們最實際的問題。 從填補道路上的坑洞, 到設立停止標誌, 到推動合作的友善文化, 米爾克想像出一種更個人化的 方式來接近地方政府。
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.
因為這哲學,他去 競選該市的市參事, 想成為他所屬轄區的代表, 這個轄區包含了美國 同性戀文化的心臟地區, 卡斯楚區。 在這個時期,警方的蠻橫、 歧視,以及媒體的刻板印象 都在折磨著 LGBT 族群, 將哈維及他的支持者貼上 「政治外人」的標籤。 但米爾克拒絕 在性向方面採低姿態。 他很確定,不出櫃就 永遠無法贏得同性戀權利, 他把卡斯楚區視為在城市政治上, 沒有人代表的許多弱勢族群之一。 米爾克很堅決要將 這些基本政府服務帶給 舊金山所有權利被剝奪的族群, 不論種族、年齡,或性向。
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.
但,儘管他有公開演說的才能, 以及打開心胸的方法, 投票者仍然無法了解 米爾克的激進遠景。 1973 年,他競選 市參事的初次嘗試失敗了。 1975 年,他又沒選上。 一年後,他參選加州 眾議院——敗選。 但,他很堅韌地繼續 支持他的轄區, 結交酒保、建築業工會, 及當地的的中國食品雜貨商。 這讓他得到了一個很親切的 稱號:「卡斯楚街頭市長」。 1977 年,哈維 第三次參選市參事, 他終於贏得一席—— 成為美國史上最早公開 同性戀身分的公職人員之一。
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.
米爾克十分興奮,上任後 決心要做出持久的改變。 他馬上提出法案, 禁止以性向來歧視人。 並且發動了城市的重大整頓。 但,並不是所有人 都樂見他採取這個方向。 反同性戀的情緒 開始有全國性的氣勢, 特別是以加州六號 提案的形式展現出來。
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.
這個提案的訴求是要讓 同性戀在加州的學校工作 成為不合法的行為, 這是米爾克職涯中 最重大的一場戰役。 六號提案的支持者 攻擊 LGBT 族群, 宣稱他們不適合做 和學生相關的工作。 但米爾克力勸他們 不要因為恐懼而躲藏: 「向你的親戚出櫃。 向你的朋友出櫃, 如果他們真的是你的朋友。 向你的鄰居出櫃, 向你的同事出櫃…… 打破迷思。 摧毀說謊和扭曲。 為了你自己。為了他們。」 他和其他激進主義分子一起 進行一項輝煌的運動,對抗仇恨。
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.
1978 年 11 月 7 日, 六號提案被壓倒性地打敗了。 這個結果證明了米爾克的訊息 越來越受到大家歡迎。 但,在這鼓舞人心的 勝利過後二十天, 他在市政廳被刺殺—— 和舊金山市長喬治 莫斯科尼一同被殺害。
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.
殺害兩人的兇手都是丹懷特, 他是前任市參事, 他給自己的定位是對抗他所謂的 「激進分子、社會異議者, 以及固執的人。」 在委員會的會議上, 他經常和哈維發生衝突, 且很痛恨在許多人心中 米爾克所代表的改變精神。 米爾克被謀殺的那晚, 數千人帶著燭光在城市中遊行。
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.
在這場悲劇之後, 又發生了一件不公的事。 懷特只被判刑七年八個月, 這項裁決非常受到爭議—— 這個決定點燃了全市的騷動, 發生了大家所知的 「懷特之夜暴亂」。
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…”
但,即使在米爾克死後, 他仍然持續鼓吹 他那充滿希望的目標。 他總共留給他的朋友和追隨者 三支不同的錄音帶, 若他被刺殺,可以拿來播放。 這些錄音帶呼籲我們採取行動, 並提醒我們,歡迎 所有人參與對抗不公: 「我請求運動能繼續下去…… 如果有一顆子彈擊中我的腦部, 讓這顆子彈摧毀所有櫃子的門……」