What Harvey Milk Tells Us About Proposition 8

Thirty years ago on election night Harvey Milk gave an electrifying speech at the "No on Proposition 6" headquarters in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. The results were in: Proposition 6 was going down to defeat.

In 1978, Proposition 6 ( "the Briggs Initiative") was the California ballot measure aimed at preventing gay people and supporters from working as teachers in public schools. Harvey Milk was a San Francisco city council member who had been in office for a mere ten months. Through his role in this campaign he proved himself to be more than just an "elected gay official." He was a leader at the height of his powers. When introduced to the crowd that night by Sally Gearhart (another important figure in the fight against Proposition 6), the response to Harvey was thunderous. He proceeded to give one of the greatest speeches of his relatively short political career.

Although there are many parallels to be made between Proposition 6 (1978) and Proposition 8 (2008) there are also many differences. Unlike Proposition 8, Proposition 6 had a name, a face, and a personality as its figurehead in the person of State Senator John Briggs. Briggs came across as a seemingly opportunistic and somewhat ineffectual politician, but regardless of his baboonery, the issue that he and his supporters tapped into -- "gay teachers" -- was volatile enough to find large-scale support among the electorate. Only one month before the election it looked as if it would be a very close vote, with the majority of California voters in favor of its passage.

On the other side, we had Harvey Milk as our figurehead, a "community organizer" who understood the value and importance of a well-coordinated grass-roots campaign. As a coordinated master plan, Harvey debated Briggs in high school gyms and on TV and radio, while an army of well-trained volunteers went about "canvassing" door-to-door, speaking with people on the streets and in the shopping centers about the potential consequences of the "anti-gay" Briggs Initiative. Eventually, enough voters were convinced that the measure was both unnecessary and a possible violation of constitutional rights. Proposition 6 went down by a resounding 59 to 42 percent.

On election night Harvey delivered his galvanizing speech with gale-wind force:

...to the gay community all over this state, my message to you is, so far a lot of people joined us and rejected Proposition 6, and we owe them something. We owe them to continue the education campaign that took place. We must destroy the myths once and for all, shatter them. We must continue to speak out, and most importantly, most importantly, every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is you must tell your immediate family, you must tell your relatives, you must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends, you must tell your neighbors, you must tell the people you work with, you must tell the people in the stores you shop in (thunderous applause), and once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and for all. And once you do, you will feel so much better.

In light of the passage of Proposition 8, Harvey's message of thirty years ago remains as vital today as it was then. It is our responsibility to let our loved ones, co-workers, friends, and neighbors know who we are, so that those who vote in favor of discrimination have our names and faces in their minds eye when doing so.

Although Proposition 8 wasn't exactly a re-make of Proposition 6, it's the same disaster movie storyline pitch: any recognition of constitutional rights for gay and lesbian citizens will somehow destroy the natural order and as a result America's institutions -- be they schools or marriage--will crumble.

Harvey pitched a different storyline: an accommodating democratic society based on constitutional principles, including the separation of church and state, and equality for all its citizens will make our country stronger and freer. But Harvey was more than just a good pitchman. He had an innate sense of history, and as a result he made his mark on history. Three weeks after his Proposition 6 victory speech Harvey was killed, and we're still waiting for another leader of his ilk to emerge. While we may not be able to predict from where or when real leaders come, eventually they do. In the meantime, as we celebrate the election of a man whose own parents' interracial marriage would not have been legal in sixteen states prior to 1967, Harvey we're still waiting.

Rob Epstein is the director of the Oscar winning film The Times of Harvey Milk, and is this years' recipient of the International Documentary Association's Pioneer Award.

Comments

[equalground]

After reading the many posts to your article, the one thing that stands out is that supporters of same-sex marriage seem to be unaware of Harvey Milk's successes. You would think from reading the blogs that Harvey Milk's life was without purpose and had not produced any progress in the lives of gay couples or civil rights, particularly the "right to marry." Perhaps gay history should be taught more in the elementary schools to ensure people on both sides are knowledgable of the meaningful strides made in such an important part of California history. If people understood the history, perhaps the present debate would be less contentious.

Most seem unaware that same-sex couples do have the right to marry, despite arguing about the use of the term marriage to describe the right to marry and to describe family relationships. Seems that regardless of the dogma or ideology, many leaders prefer followers remain ignorant. Many continue to be uninformed about their rights. Perhaps you could write an article reviewing the progress made since Harvey Milk's unfortunate death and the rights enjoyed today by same-sex couples, including the "right to marry."

The reality is quite difficult to communicate. The dogma is always so much simpler, compelling, and motivating. And, if progressive history can be ignored, the message never needs to change and a progressive never needs to become a conservative, which is really our greatest fear.

[firstfreeze]

Harvey Milk praised Jim Jones as a community leader. Check the history. Not sure MIlk's judgement is was all that great. Being gay didnlt make him a flawless leader as revisionist want to rememeber. He had some other issues, snif snif that may need to be discussed

[JohnBisceglia]

Harvey Milk would be crying right now. He would see, perhaps more clearly than we do right now with our eyes wide open, how Governmental Psychological Warfare has been waged on LGBT families and their children. Children.

The APA confirmed this warfare this week. - http://www.apa.org/releases/glbt-stress-1108.html

I'm not sure WHY my community is so passive, so wimpy, so afraid to demand equality NOW. We need to protect these children of LGBT families; they cannot protect themselves from a society and government gone madly awry.

[abbeyroad]

some happy news:

in August The British House of Lords decided to remove the tax exempt status from a Mormon temple in Chorley in Lancashire County.

bravo to London's House Of Lords !!!!!

[sanfranciscofeet]

Not a fan of him, but Ronald Reagan did more to defeat Briggs than anyone else. And I got to say, it was politically courageous to go against the wack-jobs in his own party.
http://www.indegayforum.org/news/show/26670.html

[Caddisfly]

Walt Disney could not have invented a better religion the the Mormons have.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

Rob, I understand your desire for another Harvey Milk, but it's unfair to history to expect one, anymore than it's fair to expect another MLK, or JFK. Where are the new feminists to replace Bella and others who are gone? There are none.

Unless people want to fight from scratch every decade or so, they've got to make sufficient progress while the iron is hot. Black americans did just that. There's no going back to separate beaches, or public ridicule ever again. Tiger Woods strides onto the golf course, Flav O Flav has a buxom white girlfriend, Fifty Cent is a role model to your children...and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

Because a tipping point was not reached on either women or gay rights, we lost ground. Part of it was our own doing. Women began to eat their own and retreat from their legacy. They sold out, put down the signs, replaced their pants with mini skirts and thongs, dreamed about white picket fences, and announced that they are not lesbians. Gays acted similarly in their own way. What the hell is a log cabin republican? Why are there gay blogs filled with posts deriding swooshy gays? Why did people stop coming out?

While the "N" word on the street will get you a fist in the eye, the "F" word or the "B" word will have people shrugging, and that's the problem.

[hiprogloho]

50 Cent a role model to children? What happened to Obama? On what planet do you live on? LOL!

[KevinVT]

The tactics Harvey Milk mentions and Rob Epstein endorses are very much like what we've done in Vermont. From well before we were the first state to get Civil Unions people were going door to door, having a booth at the county fairs, speaking, writing letters, going to Rotary meetings, having house parties with straight supporters -- doing all that legwork. That started at least 10 years ago (1998). We're now poised to move to full marriage via the legislature (over 50% of voters in the state now support marriage).

I'm not sure how much of that kind of thing happened in California. I get the impression people thought, we have SF, we have WeHo, politicians and mayors support us, so we don't have to talk to bigots. Maybe the No on 8 people did go door to door... but how long have they been doing it and how broad has their approach been? Milk was right. He knew how politics works.

[MarkBoston]

THIS MEANS WAR !!!! GAYS WILL NO LONGER BE ANYONES BITCH... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Boycott every connected to UT. No skiing , No film festivals , no Marriott hotels .... When the Mormon youth knock on your doors trying to spread their bullshit be sure to lay it on them. Shout it as loud as you can .Follow them down the sidewalk shouting at them .. . I have had it !!!!

[abbeyroad]

yeah, sure.

just like no one ever asked you to donate your money and work to yes on 8, right ?

mormons are the "dennis the menace of religion".

[ProudMormon]

Nobody asked me. I didn't send any money, and I didn't vounteer. I had nothing to do with 8, but I'm glad that it passed.

[abbeyroad]

"proudmormon" and "tannerfolks" are mormons working for the LDS.

they are on these sites trying to spin, spin, spin the truth around.

LDS is desperately trying to deflect the blame off of themselves.

UTAH MORMONS were busy little bees working hard to pass prop 8.

MORMONS gave 77% of the money to yes on 8.

this country will NEVER, EVER forget what the mormons did.
there's gonna be a lot of thunder.

[ProudMormon]

I'm an individual citizen acting of my own volition. Just as thousands of individual citizens acted of their own volition to support 8.

Nobody has ever asked me to post here, period. I do so primarily because I personally feel that the rampant ignorance and outright lies being peddled here demand a factual response.

[luvobama]

I don't believe one word you say. i have read enough of your u gly posts to know you have a very black heart. It appears you will stop at nothing to oppress and hat e another group of people. You are neither good nor religious. You have serious mental problems. You should volunteer for a study on why people choose to live so ignorantly.

[Lemeritus]

Just out curiosity, what the heck is going with the "There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All" breaks every other comment? Am I the only one getting this?

[Cybersquirt]

no. it happens every now and again only to clear up eventually. I have no idea what causes it.

[ProudMormon]

Try clicking on one of the permalinks. It's a good way to refresh the page, anyway.

[HollywoodBill]

The role of Ronald Reagan seems to have been overlooked.

In 1978, Prop6 was well on its way to passage with a documented 61% approval rating by the Field Poll. Any initiative at 60% before the election is guaranteed to pass. Then ex Governor Ronald Reagan bucked the Christian Conservatives within the GOP and wrote an editorial in the LA Herald Examiner condemning Prop6. It was an extremely gutsy move considering that Reagan would need those votes in less than two years.

Prop6 went down to defeat and its turnaround began immediately after Reagan's widely circulated editorial, It still stands as the largest turnaround in public opinion in California history. It also was the birth of the Log Cabin Republicans who organized gays throughout the state to help defeat Prop6.

While Harvey Milk played an important role in the defeat of Prop6, its defeat is more credited with Ronald Reagan throwing his substantial influence against it and its decline in the polls can be traced to that fateful Sunday editorial.

[BobSF94117]

One has to assume that Ahnuld's consultants told him to keep a low profile. He could have pulled off a Reagan moment and gotten more popular with most voters. I guess they figured the base was more important than standing up for equality.

Watching him give interviews against Prop 8 AFTER the election is just plain odd.

[enveg01]

Thank you for this insightful piece. My husband and I saw a screening of Milk a couple weeks ago and then re-watched The Times of Harvey Milk a couple nights later. If only we had leadership like that today. The other thing that should be mentioned is that Harvey was for gay people being visible in political campaigns. In all the commercials that the No on 8 campaign ran there were NO gay people present. We have to stop being afraid of who we are and allow our stories to be told authentically. Prop 8 was a huge loss and mistakes were made but it is only a temporary defeat. Gays will be equal citizens. It will happen.

[Nofuzzydreams]

Who cares? The voters said no twice to gay marriage. They can have civil unions and all the rights like a married person. Not accepting the voters mandate, BTW blacks and Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for 8 as well, is like saying I will not accept Obama as a President and try to challenge the vote in court on some ground or the other or take out protest marches. If there were issues with the proposition why wasn't it challenged before the vote?? Because the thinking was that people will say no to 8. But voters had a different idea. Accept it and prepare for another proposition to overturn it at the next election. Stop resorting to third-world like tactics!!

[luvobama]

You sound like the people back in the 60s who said the same thing about giving blacks their civil rights.

[enveg01]

No one's civil rights should be put up to popular vote. If this were the case, African Americans would still be drinking out of separate water fountains in certain parts of this country. It took the national guard to integrate schools in Alabama. Have some compassion for your fellow American citizens. Equality is not something that can be decided by majority vote.

[MagisterLudi]

Luvbuma, but reality is that most of African American Californian voters rejected this self-serving comparison.

[andvoodoo2]

Until there is a nationwide vote, the "voters" have not said "no" to anything.

[kdogg]

These are the same arguments that where used to support unjust laws against minorities in our country 40 years ago. Contentiousness people saw through it then and will see through it now.

[mercury613]

Civil unions do not afford gay couples the same rights as married couples. That's a lie that the Yes on 8 people keep repeating.

Please tell me what part of our electoral/judicial process resembles "third-world like tactics".

[Nikola Tesla]

Boooooo!