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'''Harvey Bernard Milk''' (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was a [[Progressive]] American [[politician]], and the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office in [[California]].  He was elected to the [[San Francisco]] Board of Supervisors with the help of the [[Peoples Temple]]. Milk wrote a letter in support of the Temple's founder to [[President Jimmy Carter]],  defending the Rev. [[Jim Jones]] "as a man of the highest character," and stating that Temple critics were trying to "damage Rev. Jones' reputation" with "apparent bold-faced lies".<ref>Milk, Harvey [http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg ''Letter Addressed to President Jimmy Carter, Dated February 19, 1978''] {{Webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/5vybbC0i4?url=http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg |date=January 24, 2011 }}</ref> Milk's biggest victory was the month of his death. He was instrumental in the defeat of The Briggs Initiative that would have barred open homosexuals from teaching positions in his district. Although public opinion polls predicted its passage, he was able to mobilize enough people to vote no. Then-governor [[Ronald Reagan]] publicly opposed the Proposition which progressives used to enable its defeat. On November 27, 1978, he and Mayor George Moscone were shot and killed by [[Dan White]], a disgruntled, [[Democratic]] former Supervisor who had resigned earlier.

'''Harvey Bernard Milk''' (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was a [[Progressive]] American [[politician]], and the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office in [[California]].  He was elected to the [[San Francisco]] Board of Supervisors with the help of the [[Peoples Temple]]. Milk wrote a letter in support of the Temple's founder to [[President Jimmy Carter]],  defending the Rev. [[Jim Jones]] "as a man of the highest character," and stating that Temple critics were trying to "damage Rev. Jones' reputation" with "apparent bold-faced lies".<ref>Milk, Harvey [http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg ''Letter Addressed to President Jimmy Carter, Dated February 19, 1978''] {{Webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/5vybbC0i4?url=http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg |date=January 24, 2011 }}</ref> Milk's biggest victory was the month of his death. He was instrumental in the defeat of The Briggs Initiative that would have barred open homosexuals from teaching positions in his district. Although public opinion polls predicted its passage, he was able to mobilize enough people to vote no. Then-governor [[Ronald Reagan]] publicly opposed the Proposition which progressives used to enable its defeat.  

 

On November 27, 1978, nine days after the [[Jonestown Massacre]], Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot and killed by [[Dan White]], a disgruntled, [[Democratic]] former Supervisor who had resigned earlier.

At his trial, Dan White's [[lawyers]] insisted that his [[Diminished Responsibility|judgment had been impaired]] by [[depression]] caused by a poor diet.  This argument (dubbed the "[[twinkies|twinkie]] defense" by the media) led to a lenient sentence, provoking rioting and protests within San Francisco's homosexual community.

At his trial, Dan White's [[lawyers]] insisted that his [[Diminished Responsibility|judgment had been impaired]] by [[depression]] caused by a poor diet.  This argument (dubbed the "[[twinkies|twinkie]] defense" by the media) led to a lenient sentence, provoking rioting and protests within San Francisco's homosexual community.