Harvey Milk & Spaces

Last Wednesday, I went to JEC/Prism’s showing of Milk, starring Sean Penn. I thought it was an awesome movie, and I very highly recommend it—very inspirational and thought-provoking (also, extra bonus: it confirms that James Franco still looks completely beautiful even with a mustache). It follows the last eight years of the life of Harvey Milk, America’s first openly gay man to be voted into public office. Trailer:

Space seems to play a large role in this film. At the beginning, Milk turns 40 and decides to move from NY to San Francisco with his lover (James Franco). He needs new space—he knows his life should have more of a purpose. They move into the Castro district, a supposed haven for the incoming gay population, and he starts up a camera store business. A homosexual man owning his own business space just cannot be tolerated by some of the other businesses, who outwardly express their prejudice and refuse to let Harvey be a part of a committee of neighborhood businesses. This space became the headquarters for many of the later political plans and activism.
Jane Juffer, in her section on Space, writes about single mothers pooling their resources and working together to create a safe environment for their children. In this same way, Milk mobilized the gay community to act together to create an accepting environment. He and his supporters worked for each vote when he ran, not only reaching out to homosexuals, but everyone, such as the elderly and union workers. He knew the importance of all, and encouraged every gay person to come out of the closet, telling them that if people were only aware that they knew a gay person, they would be willing to vote. He was successful on his fourth attempt, and was elected to the Board of Supervisors.

Milk also was not afraid of unknown or unwelcoming spaces. In fact, he embraced them. While his opponent avoided public debates, Milk suggested having one in Orange County, where he had virtually no supporters. Proposition 6 was at stake, a referendum that would fire all gay teachers and their supporters. Harvey Milk was most interested in creating a space that everyone could equally be a part of.

Speech excerpt: