In honor of Harvey Milk’s birthday and Memorial Day, here’s the Gay pioneer at his sexiest! Private photos from his time in the Navy, including very revealing thirst traps worthy of Grindr. Photos sourced from the California Historical Society archives at the San Francisco Public Library.
Harvey Milk. May 22, 1930-Nov 27, 1978. Harvey was the first openly Gay politician elected to California public office in 1977. He was assassinated in 1978.
According to the National Archives : “The Navy discovered that Milk was homosexual. He was confronted in December 1954 about participating in a “homosexual act” in 1953. Like many other Gay men in the military at this time, he was forced out of service…If he did not voluntarily resign from the Navy Reserve, accepting an “Other Than Honorable” discharge and giving up on any military benefits he would otherwise have been entitled to, he would be court-martialed. Milk opted to willingly resign, and in January 1955 was discharged from the military.”
“Harvey Milk was more than a martyr. More than just another Queer killed by an insecure straight man with a gun. He was a goofy, loud mouth faggot-hippie-Daddy with a ponytail and BDE. A cunning, paranoid politician with fabulous emotions.
Neither king nor saint; they sit on pedestals. Harvey knew how to get on his knees.”
Words by Leo Herrera
This spicy photo shoot was taken down by META for violating “community guidelines,” so share at your own discretion. Even now, the icon can still push buttons!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Herrera Words to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.