It’s infuriating, but Harvey left behind a message for us:
“All men are created equal. Now matter how hard they try, they can never erase those words.”
Harvey Milk
The word “those” in the quote takes on greater weight now. “All men are created equal” is more important than “Harvey Milk.” Harvey’s goal was never to get his name on things.1 In a sadly prescient recording, he said:
I ask for the movement to continue, for the movement to grow, because last week I got a phone call from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and my election gave somebody else, one more person, hope. And after all, that’s what this is all about. It’s not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power—it’s about giving those young people out there in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias, hope. You gotta give them hope.
Harvey Milk, in a recording made on November 18, 1977, to be released in the event of his death. He was assassinated on November 27, 1978.
Harvey understood our rage, but always steered us toward hope. It will take time and effort, but one day we’ll right the ship.
About the Post Title and Featured Image
This post was originally titled “A Shot Across the Bow,” but I updated it after seeing the “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag at the WorldPride International Rally and March on Washington on Sunday, June 8.
If the flag-bearer folks are reading this, thank you for giving me a much more inspirational title and letting me take photos. Happy Pride!
Footnote
- Even so, I’m pleased that 240,000 passengers each day will see Harvey’s name—promimently and frequently—at Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport. ↩︎
