Description
In this June 1978 letter, Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay person to be elected into public office in California, petitioned President Jimmy Carter to lend his support in defeating Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative. Elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, one of Milk's main goals was defeating this legislation, which would have, among other things, banned anyone who was gay from working in the California Public School System. The timing of the letter was significant in that Harvey Milk had just delivered his famous "Hope Speech" which he included excerpts of in his letter to Carter. Proposition 6 was defeated and Carter did openly oppose the measure.
Transcript of Harvey Milk's Letter to President Jimmy Carter
Source-Dependent Questions
- What did Harvey Milk state as the significance for the timing of his letter? Why was that important in petitioning the president for action?
- How did Milk's position in government give weight to his requests?
- How did Milk characterize the fight for employment in education for gay teachers and advocates?
- Why was having advocates significant in this protest?
Citation Information
Milk, Harvey, "Letter from Harvey Milk to President Carter regarding the Briggs Initiative," 28 June 1978. Courtesy of National Archives