Hope Speech

Harvey Milk was a Californian politician and activist for gay rights. Milk was born in New York City in 1930. He became involved with San Francisco politics in 1973, despite facing opposition from the local gay establishment and subculture. He had spent much of his life drifting between jobs and locations; before entering politics, he had spent his last $1,000 to open a camera store on Castro Street that would become the center of his activism. He was elected city supervisor in 1977. Although he fiercely advocated for protections for gay people while in office, it was his assassination by Dan White, a former city supervisor and political and ideological rival, that secured Milk’s legacy. Upon his death, Milk was quickly transformed from the first gay Californian elected official to a martyr for the LGBTQ+ community.

Milk’s personal life was heavily shaped by the concept of coming out, which he repeatedly emphasizes in “The Hope Speech” as necessary for changing societal perceptions of the gay community. Instead of keeping his personal relationships a secret, Milk made his orientation a key part of his political stance and public image and encouraged others to do the same. Milk advocated for protecting those who chose to come out by successfully combatting bills such as Proposition 6, which would have mandated firing openly gay teachers in California. Coming out, however, was still not without danger; friends of Milk, such as Oliver Sipple, were estranged from their families and harmed when the media outed them against their will.

“The Hope Speech” showcases Milk’s trademark rhetorical style: It is enthusiastic, humorous, and concerned with the individual as well as the collective. Milk was known for his concern for neighborhoods and spent much of his political career advocating for small businesses, with the larger goal of preserving the citywide experience. At the start of his political career, Milk became president of the Castro Village association, aiming to protect the rights of gay small business owners. Although he primarily advocated for gay rights, he also used his platform to promote the causes of other marginalized groups, arguing that protections for one would lead to protections for all. The Harvey Milk Foundation promotes his ideals to this day, advocating for The Importance of Representation and Intersectional Solidarity of all disenfranchised groups in government.