Primary Source Set: Harvey Milk
Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay elected official in California. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled fellow city supervisor. White was sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter, which was later reduced to five years. Mass uprisings in the gay community, known as the White Night Riots, followed the sentencing. Milk became an icon in San Francisco and in the LGBTQ community and he continues to be honored today.
Harvey Milk at Gay Freedom Day, 1978. Photo by Crawford Wayne Barton.
Selected Source Set
Additional Resources
Harvey Milk Research Guide, includes links to additional digital resources.
Harvey Milk and Scott Smith collection of artifacts and ephemera at the GLBT Historical Society.
Harvey Milk Archives-Scott Smith Collection (GLC 35) at The James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center at San Francisco Public Library.
Contact reference@glbthistory.org for research questions or information about reproductions and permissions.
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