Harvey Milk for Supervisor

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Harvey B. Milk (1930-1978) was an American politician who holds the distinction of being the first openly gay elected official in the state of California upon winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Upon moving from New York to California in 1972, Milk began showing considerable interest in politics and soon declared his campaign for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which is a governing body that oversees county governments. Running in both 1972 and 1975, Milk lost both elections until finally succeeding in 1977. Upon winning, Milk served in office for eleven months and was responsible for passing a number of laws that furthered gay rights in San Francisco. Milk's career was tragically cut short when he was assassinated on November 27, 1978, by Dan White, who was a former city supervisor. Though his political career was short-lived, Milk has become an icon in both San Francisco as well as in the greater gay community for his efforts in advancing gay rights.