Celebrate the spirit of Harvey Milk’s San Francisco
Posted by admin on Jan 30, 2009
Though the cameras have stopped rolling and the red carpet’s been rolled up in San Francisco, the Oscar-nominated film Milk continues to draw attention to the life and times of the late city supervisor and gay rights activist.
California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk was a pioneer for gay and lesbian rights, fighting successfully against Proposition 6 — which would have made it mandatory for public schools to fire LGBT teachers and their allies — and sponsoring a civil rights bill that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation in San Francisco. In 1978, after serving only 11 months in office, Supervisor Milk was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone, by Dan White, a former city supervisor and co-worker of both men.
More than 30 years later, Milk’s legacy still thrives in the City by the Bay, and there are a number of ways for visitors to catch the spirit.
First, the best place in the world to watch the movie Milk is at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, an historic movie palace that’s seen several times in the film, and was the site of the world premiere screening last fall. The film returns to the Castro Theatre for a limited engagement running February 15-19, 21, and 23-26.
Every Sunday through April 2009, City Guides offers a free Castro walking tour, where visitors can explore the vibrant neighborhood while learning about its transformation from dairy land to a chic community hub, beginning at Harvey Milk Plaza under the rainbow flag.
If you’d like something a little more Milk-specific, Cruisin’ the Castro now offers a Harvey Milk Tour, which takes visitors from the Castro to City Hall. At $55 per adult, it’s definitely a splurge for the budget traveler, but chock-full of historical information led by a knowledgeable area local.
If you’d rather go at your own pace (and save a few bucks), a free audio walking tour is available from the GLBT Historical Society. Entitled "Out of the Bars and Into the Streets," the tour focuses on Harvey Milk and the rise of gay power in the 1970s. Starting at the site of Milk’s old camera shop on Castro Street, the 1.75-mile route is the same as that of Milk’s walk to his inauguration, the candlelight march after he was killed, and the protest after his assassin’s sentencing. Download the podcast and map, and take a step back in time with original interviews with Harvey’s friends and colleagues, and archival audio of speeches and protest marches.
The podcast is part of an exhibit currently offered by the GLBT Historical Society: Passionate Struggle: Dynamics of San Francisco’s GLBT History. Housed in the Society’s new Castro Street space, the exhibit features artifacts, documents, images, video, and audio that illustrate four key themes in GLBT history: People, Places, Politics, and Pleasure. Several Milk artifacts are also on display. Admission is $3 (free for GLBT Historical Society members).
If the exhibit puts you in a history-hunting mood, then head over to the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Branch (opposite City Hall, across Civic Center Plaza). The library’s James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center — located on the third floor — houses an impressive archival and manuscript collection, including correspondence and documents written by Milk himself. Be sure to call ahead though, to ensure a staff member is on hand to help with your excavation: (415) 557-4567.