Harvey Milk
Michael Arbizo, 17, OASIS-Long Beach
“You’ve got to let gay people be so that young child and the thousands upon thousands like that child know that there is hope for a better world. There’s hope for a better tomorrow.” These are the inspiring words of my hero, Harvey Milk.
Harvey Milk was the first elected openly gay city official of San Francisco. He is my hero because he has inspired so many gay and lesbian people to love themselves and be proud of who they are. Milk also helped many people get over their intolerance of lesbians and gays. I have learned from him that I can do anything I put my mind to, as long as I never lose faith in myself.
Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. One of the results of his being elected to the board of supervisors was that many people, both gay and straight, had to accept the fact that a gay person could live an open and honest life, and succeed. This lesson is still important today. The public should have positive images of gay and lesbian role models in order to de-construct stereotypes of the gay and lesbian community. Serving on such a powerful board, Harvey showed many gay people that they could rise above the stereotypes and reach their life goals. I can just imagine how many people thought he was crazy and that he would be killed. But he was not afraid. He was willing to put his life on the line. He persevered not only to create a place for gays and lesbians to be free and powerful but also to ensure that generations after him would also have the power and strength to change the world.
Milk also helped influence the lesbian and gay community in the late seventies. He showed us that we would never be heard if we were not seen by the whole world. He helped a lot of people understand that if they did not come out of the closet to the people that loved them that they would be trapped in a life of misery. He understood the countless stories of sadness within the gay community and he took it upon himself to voice these stories to let us see what had been happening to us, and encourage us not to let it go on.
Milk also inspires me because of his faith in himself. He ran for office three times and failed all three times. But he did not give up. The fourth time, he was indeed elected.
Harvey was threatened all the time and one day those threats became a reality. He was murdered on November 27, 1978 by two bullets that came from the gun of fellow City Supervisor, Daniel White. Before Harvey was killed he had said, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” To me this statement meant that the day he was murdered should be the day that everyone remembers him and says, “I’m gay and that is okay!”
If Harvey Mi1k were here today I would tell him all the things I have endured and how I strive to overcome adversity. I would let him know how his strength gives me motivation every day to get out of bed and move forward towards my goal of being successful and happy in a world of obstacles and challenges. He lives on as an inspiration for any youth, whether gay or straight.
by Michael Arbizo
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