Harvey Milk
Political Activist
Harvey Milk is a name that is very famous in the history of gay political activists. Harvey Milk has recently resurfaced and newer generations are becoming aware of his work due to the recent theatrical release of film, Milk starring Sean Penn. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to a political position in the United States. Milk moved from New York City to San Francisco in 1972 amid a migration of gay men moving to the Castro District. Harvey Milk took advantage of the growing political and economic power of the neighborhood to promote his interests, and ran unsuccessfully for the political office three times. After gaining popularity, Harvey Milk was elected to the position of San Francisco City Supervisor in 1977. After a mere one year as San Francisco City Supervisor, Harvey Milk was assassinated alongside San Francisco Mayer, George Moscone. The shooter was fellow politician, Dan White, who was an outspoken anti-gay conservative. While was convicted of manslaughter and received a sentence of 8 years and 7 months, which many felt was too lenient and rioted the streets.
Harvey Milk is remembered for being openly gay at a time when very few public figures were. Many consider Milk to be the man who paved the way for other openly gay men and women to enter fields that had previously been closed to them.
Harvey Milk
In a time where homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder by psychologists, Harvey Milk was openly gay and started campaigned to end discrimination against gays, and began his political career. Harvey 
Milk also believed that the “invisibility” of gays contributed to the negative social stigmas of the time. In the 1970s very few gay people came out of the closet, and the election of an openly gay man was a watershed event in the gay political world as well as the personal lives of gay individuals. In a time such as this, Harvey Milk amid death threats stated in his will “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” Upon his death, this seat was given to Harry Britt another openly gay politician. His legacy continues to live on as there have been plenty of tributes to Harvey Milk as well as a great deal of mention in the media. The City of San Francisco has paid tribute to Milk by naming several locations after him, the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club changed its name to the Harvey Milk Memorial Gay Democratic club, and there is also a school in New York City called the Harvey Milk School and is a program for at risk youth that concentrates on the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students. There have also been several media tributes to Milk such as documentaries, shows, and most recently Milk starring Sean Penn.