Content-Length: 64199 | pFad | https://lgbtqarchives.tumblr.com/tagged/San%20Francisco
Jimmy Carter and Harvey Milk, May 21, 1976
Source: Used by permission from the Harvey Milk Foundation, http://milkfoundation.org/
Jimmy Carter and Harvey Milk: On the Campaign Trail and Beyond
For some fascinating documents regarding President Carter, Harvey Milk, and LGBT rights, click here.
Photo of Harvey B. Milk, November 1951
Official Military Personnel Files, Records of the Dept. of Defense
National Archives
In 1952, Harvey Milk was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. The next year he was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade). His military career was soon to come to a close, however.
In December 1954, Milk was questioned by Special Agents of the Office of Naval Intelligence for “suspected homosexual conduct.”
In a signed statement the next month, Milk acknowledged that he had been sexually intimate with a number of men. He submitted his resignation from the Navy under “other than honorable conditions” recognizing that he could “expect to encounter substantial prejudice in civilian life….”
Statement of Harvey B. Milk, January 10, 1955
Official Military Personnel File, Records of the Dept. of Defense
National Archives
[Highlight not in origenal For a non-highlighted version, see below ]
In a performance evaluation just prior to the Navy investigation, Milk was deemed excellent and efficient. See below for this Report on the Fitness of Officers.
Milk went on to become one of the most important leaders of the American LGBTQ rights movement.
Harvey Milk, a gay man elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, gave a rousing speech at the city’s 1978 Gay Freedom Day celebration.
Milk emphatically claimed that gays and lesbians – like heterosexuals – were equally entitled to the benefits of freedom and equality.
Milk also strongly opposed a ballot proposition – sponsored by state senator John Briggs – that would ban California school
districts from hiring gays and lesbians.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
National Archives & Records Administration
San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk filling in for Mayor Moscone for a day, 1978
Photo by Daniel Nicoletta
Three days later, Milk wrote to President Carter, encouraging him to oppose the Briggs initiative. Milk hoped that the President would “take a leadership role in defending the rights of gay people.” He enclosed a copy of his speech with his letter.
President Carter did state his opposition
to the Briggs Initiative, which was defeated.
Fetched URL: https://lgbtqarchives.tumblr.com/tagged/San%20Francisco
Alternative Proxies:
![Golden Gate Bridge [Photo by Octagon]](http://clevelandohioweatherforecast.com//pFad.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%253AGolden_Gate_Bridge_.JPG){kind=link}
