First Official Harvey Milk Day Celebrated Across California

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Photographer Danny Nicoletta’s infamous image of Harvey Milk on Castro Street.

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Had he not been brutally murdered more than three decades ago, civil rights leader Harvey Milk would have turned 80 years old yesterday. In California his birthday was honored across the state as a day of special significance; local schools are encouraged to teach about civil rights and Milk’s legacy.

Parties, dedications and all manner of festive events are happening throughout the weekend, however none of them more joyous and exuberant than the celebrations in San Francisco. Harvey’s old Castro neighborhood was packed with Milk’s supporters, everyone from school children from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, to local politicians, neighbors, friends, tourists and activists.

San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood was crowded for Harvey Milk Day.

Saturday morning Equality California held an action rally at San Francisco’s GLBT Center to kick off the first official Harvey Milk Day. Scores of local activists were organizing to go out door to door this weekend, talking to people in neighborhoods which voted against marriage equality (Proposition 8). Many local leaders spoke and shared their memories of Milk and what he taught them. There was much discussion of building common ground, engaging different communities on everything from issues of marriage equality and workers’ rights to Arizona’s oppressive illegal immigration legislation.

Human rights activist Cleve Jones inspires the crowd at the GLBT Center.

There was also lots of free ice cream at the action rally, a special flavor in honor of the day, Harvey Milk Cookies and Cream.

Tom Ammiano speaks to the crowd in front of Milk’s former camera shop.

Local hero and friend of Harvey Milk, Tom Ammiano, addressed the crowd, as did Mark Leno, Bishop Yvette Flunder and several city politicians. Supervisor Bevan Dufty explained what he had learned from Milk’s leadership:

Harvey’s message of equality, dignity, hope, respect, honesty and validation was important, and it still is. Creating change is about making coalitions with different groups, with labor, immigrants and others; go out an engage these communities and make connections. Their struggle is our struggle.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty speaks to the crowd at the Castro’s popular public plaza.

Saturday’s events in San Francisco also included a dedication to the Castro’s hugely popular public plaza, a streetcar named in honor of Milk, and the unveiling of a new plaque in front of Harvey Milk’s former camera store on Castro Street. There was also a free screening of Gus Van Sant’s award-winning film Milk in the beautiful Castro Theatre. Even though I have seen the movie before, while sitting in the packed theatre watching the story of Harvey Milk’s life unfold, I was moved to tears and truly inspired.

Harvey Milk’s former camera store on Castro Street.

A new plaque honoring Harvey Milk was unveiled in front of his old camera shop.

We Can All Be Like Harvey Milk

Although for me, the most inspiring moment from all of the days’ events was a speech by human rights activist and close friend of Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones. He explained that one of the most important things that Harvey taught him was to connect with different kinds of people, speak the truth and tell them your story.

Jones said that previously he had always avoided straight people and did not want to ever leave the gay ghetto; while campaigning together against the failed Briggs Initiative (also known as Proposition 6), Jones was amazed at how Harvey would reach out openly to everyone and treat them equally.

“What I learned from Harvey was the importance of crossing these boundaries. Now that Harvey has been mythologized, as someone who knew him, I want you to know that he was an ordinary man. He was an ordinary person, but he also had the strength and courage to speak the truth. You can all be ordinary like Harvey Milk. Speak out and be that person.”

One of the window displays at a local family-owned hardware store, Cliff’s Variety.