Harvey Milk

"Hope will never be silent"(Foss) Five inspiring words said by a man who never gave up hope for the future, Harvey Milk. Milk was the first openly gay politician who fought for LGBT rights back in the 1970's. Born into an American Jewish family in 1930, Milk spent his childhood in New York. As he grew older Milk moved to San Francisco to be with his lover (Scott Smith) without facing prejudice, where he became a politician and lived until his assassination in 1978. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They give a voice to the voiceless and hope the hopeless. Milk's willingness to change the world and his caring nature make him a hero.

Milk was ready to change the world for the better. He wanted to give a voice to the voiceless. Willing to put his life on the line by coming out as gay during a time in history when being gay wasn't accepted in society, "Milk had become a political force-an outspoken leader in the gay community..." (Foss). Harvey Milk became a politician to become a voice for the silenced. He spoke for equality towards all people. Even though his opinions were not widely accepted throughout, he was willing to get his word across by winning a seat on the San Francisco city county board, becoming one of the first openly gay politicians. Virtual Embassy says "Milk was able to unite the gay community in San Francisco through his charisma and civic mobilization skills" (Virtual Embassy). Through this, Milk had fired up the gay rights movement.

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His caring and compassionate personality led him to become an activist for gay rights, helping other LGBT people get their voice out to the general public. In one of Milk's speeches he states "On this anniversary of stonewall, I ask my gay brothers and sisters to make their commitment to fight. For themselves, for their freedom, for their country" (Black and Milk 217). Milk cares about others and wants them stand up and fight for themselves. He payed attention to the voices of other people, and when it was time for him to during the election, he reached down to his voters instead of up towards other political leaders for help. This eventually led to him winning the election, making him the first openly gay mayor.

In the end, Harvey Milk changed many peoples' live for the better, helping them by showing others that being gay isn't so bad. He stood his ground, even when his opinion wasn't safe to speak out loud. Milk shows his true compassion and caring for others through his willingness to help them get past the tough times. During his life, Milk helped show others how to love others for their differences. He helped many people become more accepted in society. People like Harvey Milk are the reason hope will never be silent.

Works Cited Eaklor, Vicki L. "Gay and Lesbian Movement." Dictionary of American History, edited by Stanley I. Kutler, 3rd ed., vol. 3, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003, pp. 513-514. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3401801662/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=3cbd640c. Accessed 1 May 2017. Foss, Karen A. "Harvey Milk." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America, edited by Marc Stein, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K3403600330/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=96a3a15f. Accessed 4 May 2017. "Harvey Milk." Almanac of Famous People, Gale, 2011. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1601049727/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=cde97c3a. Accessed 4 May 2017. Milk, Harvey, and Jason Edward Black. An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk's Speeches and Writings. Berkeley, Calif.: U of California, 2013. Print. Virtual Embassy Iran 40 | 2 June, 2016 | Topics: Human Rights | Tags: A Place for LGBT. "Bringing People Hope: Harvey Milk and the Gay Rights Movement in America." U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran. N.p., 13 Sept. 2016. Web. 15 May 2017.