Harvey Milk Day in SF takes on new meaning in fight for LGBTQ+ rights
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's Castro District was filled with sounds of celebration Thursday evening in honor of Harvey Milk, on what what've been his 95th birthday.
"Harvey Milk was the first person to stand up and say, no one's going to know us until we come out of the closet, and now we're out of the closet and this is a lasting legacy for us," said Ned Moran, a volunteer for Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza.
Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, and he built a legacy advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.
"Harvey came out and organized at a time that was also very dark, a very difficult time. He showed us what can happen if we come out and organize, and that the power of the people is greater than the power of the few at the top," said Fred Fishman, a San Francisco resident, noting Milk is an example in today's battle against the Trump administration's attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.
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"When you look at the fights that Harvey fought back in the 70s against blatant discrimination and a hostile government, people who were just trying to destroy our community, people who were calling us pedophiles. That's happening all over again," said State Senator Scott Wiener, adding it's not just a fight at the federal level, but Governor Newsom's proposed budget slashes over $31 million from LGBTQ+ health programs.
"These are organizations I've worked with for many years, and I know how valuable they are to the community," said Wiener. "So, we are fighting to protect the community."
And, that fight means a different approach to this Harvey Milk Day.
"The meaning this year is not only Harvey's focus on hope, but the focus on action," said Brian Springfield, executive director of Harvey Milk Plaza. "And sometimes it means standing up and fighting. And I feel like that's the moment that we're in now."
