Politician and Civil Rights Activist
“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet shatter every closet door.”-Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk’s personal connection to the LGBT community may have served as more powerful motivation to strive for equality. His goal was to inspire as many individuals as possible in order to promote a better world. He wanted to persuade especially his gay audiences that they can be raised to understand the politics of democracy in order to end the discrimination that they face. As the nation’s first openly gay official, Harvey Milk’s determination had given the LGBT community a dream. He believed that “a true function of public officials is not just to pass laws and approve appropriations, but to give hope.” After campaigning during four different elections, Milk had been elected as a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. Unfortunately, he had been assassinated just one year after being elected. But, he had always known that his vision would live on. He was aware of the fact that each day that had passed could be his last. In one of his recorded wills, Milk stated, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” This is what made Milk such an intriguing and inspiring leader. He recognized the position that he was in and showed no fear in dying for what he believed in.
Early Life
Born on May 22, 1930, Harvey Milk grew up in a small, middle class Jewish family in Woodmere, New York. Milk had one older brother, Robert. As the grandson of Morris Milk, Harvey and his older brother were raised in their family’s department store, ‘Milk’s.’ As a Lithuanian immigrant, Harvey’s grandfather, had established their family name by founding a local synagogue in their area. The family was well known in their community as ‘Litvaks’ for the 
civic engagement. So early on in life, Harvey was introduced to a lifestyle that supported being involved in his community. During his years in school, Milk was often the center of attention and teased for his appearance. Big ears, a huge nose, and over-sized feet, Milk’s childhood had taught him how to handle being the center of unwanted attention. While attending Bay Shore High School, Milk was known as the class clown. Harvey Milk’s sexuality was never a reason for him to be teased by his peers, as he kept his homosexuality a close guarded secret. In the times that he did slip up his secret, he used this as a motivation to work even harder to fit in with the crowd to avoid being different from the rest. Best known for his diverse range of interests among his peers, Milk was involved in extracurricular activities that ranged from his passion for opera, to a member of his High School football team. In his High School year book, Milk is referred to as, Glimpy Milch, for his goofy appearance. He then moved on to New York State College for Teachers, where he studied math and history. He was actively involved in the school newspaper, reporting issues of diversity. Straight out of college, Milk decided to follow in the footsteps of his father by enlisting in the Navy. He attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He was eventually based in San Diego, serving as a diving instructor. With the rank of lieutenant junior grade, Milk was discharged in 1955. After his time spent in the Navy, Milk became a public school teacher on Long Island, a stock analyst in NYC, and a production associate for Broadway musicals. It was during this period in his life that Harvey became actively involved in politics. After meeting Jack Galen McKinley, the couple moved to San Francisco together, following a job opportunity as the stage director for Tom O’Horgan’s, Hair.
Not Just Your Average Politician
Not long after Milk had established his name on Castro Street, he had been approached by a man named Allan Baird, a man who grew up no further than two blocks away from Castro Street. Baird was a man who was just recently giving recognition to the changes that were occurring in his hometown. As a representative of the Teamsters and the director of the Coors beer boycott in California, Allan Baird chose to seek the help of Harvey Milk, in order to gain the support of the gay community with this boycott. Due to the fact that six major beer distributors had refused to sign the proposed unpin contract, the beer drivers’ local was boycotting against these companies because they could not be out of work for long. As a spokesperson for the gay community, Milk was the man to see if you wanted the support of local gay bars to take part in the protest. In agreement, Milk of course proposed a straightforward compromise. He asked Allan to promise to help gays land spots in the Teamsters union. His argument posed was of course that the gay community supports and purchases a lot of the beer that the company delivers, so it was only fair that some members of the gay community should have a share of the jobs. Something that had made Milk stand out among the others was that at this time that Baird was seeking help, Harvey was in the middle of a campaign for supervisor. Unlike any other politician who would most likely ask for an endorsement, Milk simply asked for jobs. With the help of his friend, Milk began to connect him with bar owners and get their support for the boycott. With Milk’s skill and determination to get this boycott recognized by the media, his efforts led to success, where five out of the six of these companies had agreed to sign the agreement. Rather than view this as a success for the Teamsters, Milk was not happy with the single company that still refused to sign. He used this as motivation to launch an even stronger and more popular boycott against Coors in gay bars.
Castro Camera
One of the most pivotal elements of Harvey Milk’s career had been influenced by a complete accident. As an aspiring 
photographer, Milk was inspired to open his own camera business after a developer had ruined a roll of his film. With the last bit of their savings, Milk and his boyfriend, Scott Smith took a chance and established their own camera shop, Castro Camera, in 1972. The store was located in the Castro District of San Francisco, which was an up and coming gay neighborhood. This store had set the foundation for Milk’s association with politics in San Francisco. One particular event that sparked Milk’s interest to get involved occurred about a year after the opening of the shop. A state bureaucrat had come into the shop, demanding a $100 deposit against state sales taxes. As an enraged store owner, Milks hatred toward the government’s involvement in the economy was revisited. Contrary to how most people would react, Milk had immediately vocalized his opinion to the bureaucrat for all of the customers in his shop to hear. This is a true representation of what made Milk such a great leader, he was an outspoken man and wanted his opinion to be heard no matter who was listening. Weeks of convincing city officials had ended successfully. Milk had the deposit lowered to $30. This was one of the incidents that occurred in Castro Camera that influenced Milk’s decision to run for City Supervisor.
“I finally reached the point where I knew I had to become involved or shut up.”
Road to Equality
By the time Milk was forty-three years old, he realized that getting involved in politics was something that he wanted to do. The 
first of his campaign slogans read “Milk Has Something for Everyone.” Recognizing that a large portion of his attention was set on improving the rights for the gay community, Milk chose to support a plethora of things wrong with today’s society. A friend of Milk’s, Joe Campbell was especially unsure of why Milk was choosing to get involved in politics. Campbell was a man who believed that Milk was running merely to put a spotlight on the gay community, and therefore initially refused to help with the campaign. Joe’s attitude toward the new politician exemplifies the thoughts of many members of society. Especially those who are against homosexuality, Milk was aware that his goal of being elected was going to be tough to achieve. Over a five year period, Milk had run for Supervisor on four separate occasions. His determination to be the first gay politician that people respected was his drive to never give up. He wanted to prove to society that being gay does make you different, but that is only because society classifies you separately from others. A person’s participation in the government should not be measured by sexual orientation, and it was Milk’s goal to change that perspective of people. Milk was finally successful in January 8, 1978, when he was sworn into the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Leadership Qualities:
“Politics is theater. It doesn’t matter if you win. You make a statement. You say, “I’m here, pay attention to me.”- Harvey Milk
1. Determination:
No matter the obstacle, Milk was always a man who stuck to his word and his beliefs. In everything that he did, he would not stop until he succeeded. By the time Milk became a politician, he was able to turn his self confidence into a determination. Milk is a clear representation of a transformational leader. For a man who was raised in a religious Jewish household during a time where homosexuality was not accepted, his ability to go against these standards with confidence and class is something that should be emulated. He served as a role model to his followers by showing them how effective having confidence in yourself was. In the quote above, it is better understood how fearless Milk was. With the knowledge of the risks that he was taking, Milk still wanted to make the boldest statement possible in order to get his message accross to people.
2. Emotional Intelligence:
Harvey Milk was able to better connect with the LGBT community because he was a homosexual, himself. Harvey Milk’s personal connection to the LGBT community served as a greater motivation to strive for change. His drive and determination to be accepted in society mirrored the desires of his followers. This is what made him such an influential leader and allowed him to become the face of the LGBT Movement. He was able to understand the challenges and obstacles presented to those men and women who were discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.
Criticism
Even though Harvey Milk is an activist that is credited for his openness about his sexuality, he spent many years hiding in the closet. While in High School, he worked hard to “fit in” and conform with the popular crowd rather than reveal his true colors. Not many people knew about Milk’s sexuality during his journey to adulthood. As a leader who let his “differences” motivate him to become a successful and influential leader, Milk may have been an even stronger leader well before moving to San Francisco.
About the Author
Emily O’Regan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York on September 17, 1996. She is currently a residential Freshman at Wagner College, Class of 2018. She intends to major in Business with a concentration in Accounting. In her free time, Emily enjoys playing basketball and softball. Often faced with the challenge of stepping up to the plate and becoming a leader, Emily admires Harvey Milk’s determination to strive for change regardless of the challenges presented.
Bibliography
Donahue, David M. “Learning from Harvey Milk: The Limits and Opportunities of One Hero to Teach About LGBTQ People and Issues.” (Academic Search Premier, 2014). 36-44.
Eyerman, Ron. “Harvey Milk and the Trauma of Assassination.” Cultural Sociology 6, no. 4 (December 2012): 399-421. SocINDEX, EBSCOhost (accessed October 28, 2014).
Gorney, Cynthia. “The Legacy of Dan White: A Stronger Gay Community Looks Back on the Tumult.” (The Washington Post, 1984).
Martin, Michael. “The Resurrection of Harvey Milk.” (Here Media Inc., 2008). 32-44.
Shilts, Randy, The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk. (New York: Macmillan, 2008), 1-400.