Milk

Tonight I watched Milk, it's bad to say but until I watched the film I had never heard of Harvey Milk.

Harvey Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  After about the age of 40 he started to participate in politics and gay activism.

Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 during a migration of gay men to the Castro District.  He took advantage of the growing political power of the neighbourhood to promote his interests.

He ran for office three times unsuccessfully, however his campaigns gained him increasing popularity, and he won a seat as a city supervisor in 1977.  Milk only served 11 months in office but was responsible for passing a gay rights ordinance for the city.  On the 27th of November 1978 Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White.  Dan White was another city supervisor who had resigned but wished to return to his previous position.

Mayor Moscone initially agreed to allow Dan White to return to his former position, however after more consideration and intervention from other supervisors including Milk the mayor decided to appoint someone else to the district.  Half an hour before the mayor was due to be in a press conference to announce Dan White's replacement White entered city hall through a basement window and headed to the mayor's office.  Witnesses heard shouting between White and mayor Moscone then they heard gun shots.

White then headed to his former office, on the way he asked Milk to step in, Milk was then shot 5 times including twice in the head at close range.

Dianne Feinstein heard the shots and called the police, after she identified both bodies she announced to the press what had happened.

US Senate Vote to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The US senate has voted 65 to 31 in favour of repealing the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy that bans LGBT people from serving openly in the US Military.  The bill just needs to be passed to the US President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

Barack Obama said in a prepared statement "The Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violationg the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend.  By ending 'don't ask, don't tell', no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay.  And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.  It is time to close this chapter in our history.  It is time to recognise that sacrifice, valour and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.  It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly."

This policy was introduced in 1993 and since then more than 13,000 people have been forced to leave the US military under this policy.  It will now come to an end after 60 days to allow the US defence department time to figure out the best way to introduce the new policy.

Click here to see the CBS News report.

It appears to me that with President Obama the US could become a much more gay friendly place, Please let me know your thoughts either by commenting or emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You