How a Murder Changed Gay Rights Forever

One of America's first gay elected officials found his home in San Francisco and spent the 1970s fighting tirelessly for gay rights. His murder and legacy transformed the movement for equality.
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Very special thanks to Niba, Matthew, Tim, and Cat for lending their voices!
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For citations, turn on CC. Footnotes below ↓
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About us:
Spectacles is a love letter to democracy, its values, its caretakers, and its ideas. Around the world, individual rights and representative government are facing unprecedented attacks from the forces of reaction and revisionism. But despite liberal democracy’s real shortcomings and today’s all-too-fashionable cynicism, we remain committed to its preservation and improvement. Join us as we explore just what liberal democracy is, how it comes about, and how it can best be maintained in a changing world.
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SOURCES
H = Lillian Faderman, Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death (Yale University Press: 2018).
I = John Geluardi, “Dan White's Motive More About Betrayal Than Homophobia,” in SFWeekly, 30 January 2008.
J = Matthew S. Bajko, “Naval records indicate SF library's Milk discharge paperwork a fake,” Bay Area Reporter, 12 February 2020.
K = “Harvey Milk Meets John Briggs,” for KPIX-TV, 6 September 1978.

CITATIONS
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. F
7. D
8. A
9. G, ch.1
10. J
11. G, ch.2
12. G, ch.3
13. G, ch.5
14. H, 76-82.
15. H, 83.
16. H, 81-82.
17. G, ch.5
18. G, ch.6
19. H, 89-93.
20. H, 109, 126.
21. H, 133-134.
22. G, ch.10-11
23. H, 158-159.
24. G, ch.12
25. H, 159, 160-161.
26. I.
27. H, 162-164.
28. H, 164.
29. H, 171-172.
30. K.
31. H, 177.
32. H, 175.
33. H, 176.
34. H, 182.
35. H, 184.
36. H, 161-163, 207-208.
37. D
38. H, 213.
39. H, 217-218.
40. H, 224-225.
41. L.
42. H, 226.
43. H, 227.
44. M.
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00:00 MURDER
04:21 I. CONFUSION
07:49 II. BELONGING
09:58 III. FINDING HIS FOOTING
12:27 III. SECURING HIS PLACE
15:16 IV. FIGHTING HIS FIGHT
18:03 V. CLOSING THE DOOR
20:46 VI. THE TWINKIE DEFENSE
23:15 CONCLUSION
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Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Civic Center No on 6 #1, Smith (Daniel A.) and Queer Blue Light Videotapes, 1999-52, Courtesy of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
1975 Gay Freedom Day Parade, Harold T. O'Neal collection (2002-03), GLBT Historical Society, Courtesy of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.

[spectacles-dm]

What do you think of Harvey Milk and his legacy?

[pembrokelove]

You fucking serious? He says it was not preplanned… when he CLIMBED THROUGH A WINDOW TO AVOID THE METAL DETECTORS???? That is the definition of forethought.

[durdleduc]

the prosecution being so insistent on the death penalty that they chose jurors with political alignments against the victim, leading to a meager sentence is... telling.

[marleyross]

Harvey Milk truly did shatter every closet door in the country. To think he prerecorded his now most famous speech to be released in case of his assassination A MONTH before Dan murdered him is disturbing. Harvey was such a strong force, I can’t imagine how much more he would have done if it wasn’t for Dan.

[matercan]

A story like this must be shared with as many people as possible. To think that someone could get away with this just because the victim is gay is crazy. The fact that America would have been such a better country with him is crazy. More people need to find this story.

[michellecrocker]

This had to have been premeditated. He went to city hall and he seemed to have his targets in mind. I’m surprised his lawyer didn’t argue gay panic like others have

[Croz]

It's interesting that Milk talked about the dangers of assassination due to his sexuality, but in the end he was murdered over plain old dirty politics.

[ROBLOXGamingDavid]

Dan White, even though he's now out of prison, committed suicide in 1985 after that fact. Nothing could make the people forgive White for what he has done, which created a massive spark for gay activists (at the time....)

[hgataro]

The mayor stopping emitting light when he died in the animation was a nice tough

[theshahunshah]

The story is more insane then you might realize at first glance. Jim Jones, Anita Bryant, Dianne Feinstein and more all had their place in what was one of the craziest years in California history and all knew each other.

[June_The_Goon]

With the thumbnail, i thought this was about a low poly superhot-like game called "one Murder", and I was confused about how that indie game affected gay rights.

[RichieBre]

Something I remember is when I was reading about John Wayne Gacy, one of the most infamous serial killers, I realized just how quickly he would have been caught if it wasn’t for homophobia. Multiple times where the victim was gay so was overlooked, abuse at the hands of his father due to homophobia causing most of his issues, and misunderstandings that wouldn’t be acceptable today.

[hurricanemeridian]

It's ironic how all the anti gay rhetoric overlaps basically 1:1 to the current day anti trans rhetoric.

Its almost like it was always just politics and the politicians just care about getting elected

[connor]

Tucker Carlson's yearbook claimed he belonged to the "Dan White Society" fyi

[kittybatpurrs]

the clip of the interview of the senator saying "homosexuality is a real threat" and to "recruit young people" is haunting. we really haven't grown as a country, have we?

[HistoryWithCoachT]

The Dead Kennedy's are why I know this story

[vermas]

"Yeah, I may have shot the mayor, but I had a cheeseburger and fries before so I wasnt thinking properly"

[larryalvares]

The quality will never cease to amaze me

[movie]

The movie _Milk_, starring Sean Penn, was how I was first introduced to Harvey Milk. He was essentially the MLK of the LGBT Movement. I have no doubt that had he lived, Milk would've been SF's first gay mayor.

I think another reason why Moscone and Milk's assassinations weren't as publicized was because the Jonestown Massacre took place just a few days prior. For obvious reasons, that dominated the national headlines (and took top precedent) at the time, while the assassinations just flew under the radar.

[emptee]

i only discovered this channel yesterday and, as a gay man, seeing this video has solidified my appreciation for you guys. great content, great narration, and great narrative. hope you find success.