All language subtitles for Milk.2008.720p.BluRay.x264-x0r

This is
Harvey Milk speaking
on Friday, November 18th.

This is only to be played
in the event of my death
by assassination.

During one of
my early campaigns,

I began to open speeches with
a line and it became kind of
a signature.

My name is Harvey Milk
and I want to recruit you.

(ALL CHEERING)

If I was speaking to a
slightly hostile audience

or a mostly straight one,
I might break the tension
with a joke.

I know. I know I'm
not what you expected,

but I left my
high heels at home.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

I fully realize that a person
who stands for what I stand
for,

an activist,
a gay activist,

makes himself the target
for someone who is insecure,

terrified, afraid
and disturbed themselves.

It's a very real
possibility you see,
because in San Francisco,

we have broken a dam
of major prejudice
in this country.

MAN 1 ON RADIO: ...room 200.
I'm in the mayor's office.

MAN 2 ON RADIO:
We are trying to
ascertain what is happening.

As President of the
Board of Supervisors,

it's my duty to
make this announcement.

Both Mayor Moscone and
Supervisor Harvey Milk

have been shot and killed.

(PEOPLE EXCLAIMING)

I wish
I had time to explain
all the things that I did.

Almost everything was done
with an eye on the gay
movement.

HARVEY: Hey. Hey.

I'm Harvey.

Okay, Harvey.

(CHUCKLES)

Today's my birthday.

No, hey, actually
it is my birthday.
At midnight.

Really?

And, believe it or not,
I don't have any plans.

Some people took
me out after work.

Hmm. And that would
be at, let me guess,
Ma Bell or AT&T.

The Great American
Insurance Company.

Oh.

I'm part
of that corporate
establishment that,

let me guess,
you think is the cause of
all the evil in the world,

from Vietnam
to diaper rash.

You left out bad breath.

Just kidding.

You're not gonna let me
spend my birthday all
by myself, are you?

Listen, Harvey,

you're pretty cute,

but I don't
date guys over 40.

Well, then, this
is my lucky night.

Why is that?

I'm still 39.

It's only 11:15.

Come on.

(SIGHS)

What's your name?

I'm Scott.

Very nice to meet you,
Mr. Harvey, insurance man.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HARVEY: Where are you from?

SCOTT: Jackson, Mississippi.

HARVEY: This isn't Jackson.
You can't respond to just
every strange man

that picks you up
on a subway platform.

It's too dangerous.

Hmm, now you tell me.

The New York Police
are the toughest.

They're arrogant
and they're everywhere.

I'll show you all
the cruising spots,

but you have
to be very careful,
little Scotty-san.

(CHUCKLES) Are you on
some uppers or something?

No. This is
just plain me.

And you're scared
of the cops?

I'm just discreet.
I know a lot of people.

If they see me,
I could lose my job.

Oh, you're one of those.

Well, I think you need
to find a new scene.
Some new friends.

I need a change.
I know.

And you're 40 now.

Oh.

Forty years old
and I haven't done
a thing I'm proud of.

You keep eating this cake,
you're going to be
fat by the time you're 50.

That's if I ever
get to 50. Oh !

Happy birthday, old man.

Why don't we
run away together?

(SOFTLY) Where to?

HARVEY:
In the past,
and still now,

San Francisco was the place
where everyone wanted to go.

To drop out,
to fall in love.

But by 1972,
the Haight was boarded up.
Drug filled, crime filled.

The new place
for us refugees

was a little Irish
Catholic neighborhood
in the Eureka Valley,

six blocks square,

the Castro.

(CAMERA CLICKS)

(CAMERA CLICKS)

(SHIP HORN BLOWING)

I cashed my last unemployment
check yesterday.

HARVEY: Well, I hope
you did something
useful with it.

SCOTT: I bought
an ounce of pot.

HARVEY: Don't
move for a second.

I suppose
I can wait tables.

I don't
want you to
go anywhere.

I want you
right here with me.

I was thinking
about a little shop.

What kind of shop?

Just a little shop
with a little overhead.

Not too much work.

Just like Morris
and Minnie Milk of
Woodmere, New York.

Did you
see the little place
downstairs for rent?

Yeah.

What do you
think about that?

I think it sounds great.

A little bit
up on the left.

Oh, it looks great.
Looks great.

Yeah.

You're the
new renters?

Well, hello.
Harvey Milk.

McConnely.
Welcome to Castro Camera.

Scott.

HARVEY: Yeah. Like,
you know, I would like

to join the, what's it called,
The Eureka Valley Merchants
Association.

I'm not an interloper.

A Jew, perhaps, but I
hope you'll forgive that.

If you open
those doors,

the Merchants Association
will have the police pull
your license.

Under what law?

Excuse me?

There's man's law and
there's God's law in
this neighborhood

and in this city.

SCOTT:
You know,
we pay taxes.

The San Francisco police
force is happy to
enforce either.

Have a good day.

HARVEY: Yeah,
thank you for the warm
welcome to the neighborhood !

Schmuck!

Well.

Hey.

HARVEY: Okay.
Customers, come on in.

HARVEY: We'll form our
own business association.

We'll start with
the gay businesses.

We'll get the addresses of
every customer that comes in
the store for a roll of film

and we'll ask
them what they want,
what they need changed.

We'll get some
money rolling in here.
Revitalize the neighborhood.

Can I come in now?

One more minute.

And I can go to
the neighborhood banks.

They must have
some gay customers.

Look, Harvey,
what's with all this
political activist crap?

I mean, I thought you
were a goddamn Republican.

I'm a businessman, Scott.

And businesses should be
good to their customers.

Even if their
customers are gay.

For God's sake,
it's San Francisco!

SCOTT: Yeah.
Well, it's just like any
other city in the country.

They hate us.
Real surprise.

We should have
at least one block
in one city, right?

We start there and then
we'll take over the
neighborhood.

Maybe.

I'm coming in.

HARVEY: Okay,
you can come in now.

Finally.
This better be good.

Oh !

Happy birthday!

(HARVEY LAUGHING)

I had to do it!
I had to do it!
I had to do it!

Sanctuary, sanctuary!
Harvey Milk!

HARVEY: Sanctuary!

And Castro became
destination number one.

Hundreds of gay men
were coming every week
from all over the world.

It was our area.
Our own neighborhood.

The police hated us.
And we hated them
right back.

They would come in and
attack us and beat us
just for fun.

But that wouldn't stop us.

I made a list of shops that
were friendly to us and
shops that weren't.

Those shops that
worked with us thrived.

Those that didn't,
went out of business.

Closed their doors.

HARVEY: Excuse me,
ladies and gentlemen.

Mr. McConnely,
I just came by to see
how business was doing.

Just fine, Harvey.

You don't mind having
all these homosexuals
in here?

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

Kidding, everybody.
He loves our kind.
Spend away.

Tell your wife I said hello.

But people started
hanging around our store.

Not customers.
Activists, kids,

young people
who were looking for
a home away from home.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

There was Danny Nicoletta,

cute art student that I
picked up at Toad Hall,
who worked in the shop.

(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING)
Harvey, come on.
Opera is so passé.

You're
not understanding
the spectacle of it,

the bigger
than life emotions.

The bigger
than life emotions?

(IMITATING OPERA SINGER)

Jim Rivaldo, a great mind.

Harvard graduate,
which nobody cared about
in those days in the Castro.

Including himself.

And somewhere
along the line, Jim
picked up a protégé,

a cute political kid
from Wisconsin,
Dick Pabich.

And of course,
there was Dennis Peron,

who ran a very
successful business
with the young kids.

And it wasn't
only the gays who
noticed what was happening.

Also the straight people.

There were some
very unexpected ones.

Teamster leader
Allan Baird walked
right into my shop

and asked me if I could
get my people to help
boycott Coors beer.

And the Coors beer boycott
had not been too successful.

But I got my people
to get all the Coors beer
out of all the gay bars,

and immediately Coors
fell from number one
and they caved.

A week later,
the Teamsters union,
for the very first time,

hired openly gay drivers.

We weren't
just a bunch of
pansies anymore.

We had had our
first taste of power.

And it was about that time
that someone first called me

the Mayor of Castro Street,
or I may have invented
the term myself.

The fucking cops, man.

Cops are
pulling people
out of Toad Hall.

HARVEY: Why?
What did they do?

They're
sweeping the streets.
It's happening right now.

Come on.
Come on.

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

Through
the door there,
the front door there,

was just an explosion
of police charging in here.

I ran into the bathroom to
hide with some other people.

All we could
hear was screaming and
crunching and smashing.

It was frankly the most
terrifying experience
I've had in my life.

If we had
someone in government

who saw things the
way that we see them,

like the black community has
black leaders that look out
for their interests.

Politics is theater.

It doesn't matter
so much about winning.

You make a statement.

You say, ''I'm here.''
You get their attention.

I mean, it'll be fun.

(CHUCKLES)

Even though the Castro was
firmly our area by 1973,
it wasn't safe for us.

We would have to wear
whistles on our necks
or in our pockets.

And if you
ever heard a whistle,
you would run to help.

OFFICER: Fruit was walking
home with his trick when
he got jumped.

Name's Robert Hillsborough.
Did you know him?

HARVEY: He used to come
into my shop. Are there
any witnesses?

OFFICER: Yeah, just
the trick, Jerry Taylor.

HARVEY:
Jerry's not his
trick, he's his lover.

OFFICER: Hey,
call it what you will.

All we know is he's our only
witness and he said he can't
identify the attackers.

HARVEY: Oh, you'd
have a dozen witnesses if
they thought you boys had any

real interest
in protecting them.

SCOTT ON PA: Hey,
come on. Come over.
Everyone gather around.

Hey, Milk,
good job on Coors.

Thank you and we
were very happy to do that.
We were very happy to do that.

Everyone over here,
gather around.

Hello. I'm Harvey Milk.

A week ago,

police officers
came into our area
with badges covered.

They sent 14 of our people
to hospitals and to jail.

The charges,
''Blocking the sidewalk.''

Let's let our tax money
go to our protection,
not our persecution.

Worry about
gun control, not
marijuana control.

School supplies, seniors,
not the books we read!

(MAN HOOTING)

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

My fellow degenerates,

I would like to announce my
candidacy for San Francisco
City Supervisor!

(ALL CHEERING)

How are you, Lee?
Fine, thank you.

Oh, I bought
you some flowers to
brighten up your day.

Could I leave some
flyers for your customers?

Hello, everyone.

Harvey Milk,
running for supervisor.

We need your support.

Are you registered
to vote?

Let me just give you that.
It's for Harvey Milk for
supervisor, all right?

He's running for the
Board of Supervisors.
Right. Thank you.

WOMAN: Take care.
Have a good day.

Harvey Milk for supervisor!
Excuse me, ma'am, are you
registered to vote?

Sir, are you
registered to vote?

I'm Harvey Milk, sir.
I'm running for supervisor.

I want you to know that my
campaign is very interested

in taking care of
seniors in the area.

We've been doing
a lot about reaching out.

I'm Harvey Milk.
Will you register here
if you're not registered?

Hey, I like the
way those pants fit!
Where are you from, kid?

Sorry, old man,
not interested.

Where's home?

Phoenix.

Come here.
Just come here a minute.

I'm Harvey Milk.
I'm running for
supervisor.

What's your name?

Cleve Jones.

Cleve Jones.
You're adorable.

We should get you
over here and get you
registered, Mr. Jones.

Fuck that.
Elections of any kind

are fucking
bourgeois affectation.

Is that right?
Mmm-hmm.

What do you do,
trick up on Polk Street?

If I need the cash.

But I'm a little bit more
selective about my clients
than you are.

Okay, let me ask you
one thing before you
go back to work.

What was it like to be
a little queer in Phoenix?

Did all
the jocks beat
you up in gym class?

I faked
a lung disease
to get out of P. E.

So what, what are you?
Some kind of street shrink?

Sometimes.

But what I'm talking about
is that we can change Phoenix.

But we have to
start with our street.

Police abuse, rent control,
pot, parks, seniors issues.

Good luck
with all that.

Good luck.

You know what I think,
Cleve Jones?

That you're
gonna get somewhere
if you keep talking.

No.
I think you should
do what you do well.

You should
be a prick.

But come with us and be
a prick. Fight City Hall.
Fight the cops.

Fight the people
that made you come
here to do what you do.

Sorry, old man, I'm leaving
for Spain tomorrow. Europe.

All the cash I need
is in my back pocket.

JIM: I'm just saying that
at this point, it looks
like all the big guns,

all the gay money,
the real money,

is gonna get
behind Feinstein

and all
the straight candidates
they consider ''gay-friendly.''

Who cares about
those old queens?

JIM: Well, you need
them to get elected.

Why isn't my campaign
manager leading this
meeting?

'Cause I'm exhausted.
I've been handing out
pamphlets for seven hours.

Yeah, in a bathhouse.

And who are
these so-called
gay leaders anyway?

Who appointed them?
What are you suggesting, Jim?

That I go down there and
solicit their endorsement?

I mean, we're down here trying
to help people on the streets.
Where are they?

Yeah, I know, but. . .
You need an
endorsement, Harvey.

Take this.

Checking the exposure.

Very nice pictures.

Is he your boyfriend?
He's very cute
Sort of. Thanks, Harvey.

Harvey, David Goodstein
is a publisher from
The Advocate.

THELMA: Harvey.
He's got a house. . .

Harvey,
you got to see this.

''Harvey Milk will
have a dream journey

''and nightmare to hell,
a night of horror.

''You will be stabbed and
have your genitals, cock,
balls and prick cut off.''

I'm calling the police.

They probably wrote it.
Look, think of it this way.

If they try to kill me,
I'll get the sympathy vote.

That might be
just the push we need.

You think this is funny?
Look at it.

It's a total joke.

I mean,
it's got no rhythm,
no humor. It's insulting.

Don't do that.

No, if you put it away,
you put it in a drawer,

it just gets
bigger and scarier.

Here, it's right here.
We see it every day.
It can't get us.

Gonna spend
all this energy to
make yourself a target?

For something you're
not gonna even win?

I keep telling you,
it's not just about
winning.

(BEEPING)

(BEEPING)

HARVEY: The top gays in
San Francisco were
David Goodstein

and his
civil rights lawyer
sidekick, Rick Stokes.

David was a rich old queen
who had bought the biggest
gay magazine, The Advocate.

Hello.
Hello, welcome
to Mr. Goodstein's.

Milo.

(WATER SPLASHING)

DAVID:
I worked for a financial
institution in New York.

I was very discreet.

One night I went to
the Metropolitan Opera,

II Trovatore, Verdi.

I was
sitting in a box,
next to my lover.

Someone spotted us.
Next day I was fired.

So I decided to do
something about it.

Came out here
to San Francisco,
I bought The Advocate.

I use my money and my
influence, in very subtle and
quiet ways, to do what I can.

So you
think that backing
straight candidates

is the best
way to help us?

Yeah, if they're
friendly to our cause.

Supervisor is
a citywide office.

Political alliances
have to be built.

You can't just move here from
across the country and run
for that office.

But I am running for office.

I'm on the ballot.

I have the union rank
and file, I have the
seniors.

And I would like to have
your magazine's endorsement.

(CHUCKLES)

Harvey, we're like
the Catholic church.

We welcome converts, but
we don't make them Pope
the same day.

HARVEY:
Why haven't
you run yet?

Too early.
Especially from the Castro.

What's wrong
with the Castro?

DAVID: Nobody works there.
It's all about sex and
drugs and more sex.

David, we need one
of our own in office.

Harvey,
you can't demand
acceptance overnight.

HARVEY: Why not?

The more
''out'' you make us,
the more you incite them.

Harvey,
step back
and quiet down.

You're suggesting
we should go back
in the closet?

Is that what
you're saying?

I spent more years
in the closet than
I care to remember.

Let's go, Scott.
SCOTT: Yeah.

I don't need your
magazine's endorsement.

And I'm not asking for
anyone's acceptance.
I don't have time.

DAVID: For you,
politics is a game, a lark.

It's like putting on
a rock festival
or staging a love-in.

You're too old to be
a hippie, Harvey Milk.

I am not a candidate.
I am part of a movement.

The movement
is the candidate.
There is a difference.

You don't see it,
but I do.

Sorry, I, uh,
pissed in the pool.

So, on election day,
out of 32 candidates
vying for six seats,

we came in tenth.
We lost.

But only a few votes shy
of my becoming the first
big eared, cock-sucking,

queer as a
three-dollar-bill-man

to be elected
to public office.

So we decided to
try it again in 1975.

Only this time,
with a few adjustments.

SCOTT: No.
No, not cute.
I hate the shoes.

I hate the hair.
You're not fooling anybody.

I'm not
gonna let those little
Pacific Heights biddies

write me off anymore
because of a ponytail.
I like it.

No more bathhouses,
no more pot, for me
and my little poo.

Speak for yourself.
Come on.

We ran and lost
the supervisor's race
for the second time in 1975,

but with
more votes
than ever before.

So in 1976,
against everyone's advice,

I really pissed off
the political power houses

in the Democratic party
by running against
their man,

Art Agnos, who was part
of their political machine.

And this time,
not for supervisor,
but for a bigger job,

for the California
State Assembly.

I don't think that
State Assembly seats
should be the reward

for service to the
Democratic party machine.

Machines run on
oil and grease.
They're dirty.

They're dehumanizing.
And they tend to be
entirely unresponsive

to the needs of anybody,
but those of their operator.

Mr. Milk, I've been
a social worker in
this city for years.

I know Sacramento.

I know how to get done
what we all need done
there.

Tell me
something, Mr. Agnos,
right here in the Castro,

Robert Hillsbourough was
murdered for walking home
with his longtime partner.

He was stabbed 15 times.

The last
words he heard were,
''Faggot, faggot, faggot.''

Now, you say
you're outraged.

Why then does your
liberal establishment
refuse to answer our calls?

Why do they not bring
these murderers to justice?

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

HARVEY: My God,
you're handsome
up close.

(ART CHUCKLES)

Can't tell you how much
I'm looking forward
to licking you,

in the polls.

(ART CHUCKLES)

You know,
Harv, your whole
rap's a real downer.

You talk a lot about
what you're against.

But what are you for?

In this town, you got
to give them a reason for
optimism, or you're cooked.

See you around.

Okay, Art.

Okay, Art.

You're gonna wanna
read that entire thing.

Okay,
I'll take a look at it.

SCOTT: Excuse me.

Guys.
Don't touch that.

Harvey. Harvey, dinner.
HARVEY: . . .have to get
some union boys in there.

HARVEY:
They love me,
they love me.

(ALL CHATTERING)

Excuse me.
Excuse me.

Harvey, you have to eat.

Everyone,
the apartment
is now off limits!

Good night.
Good night.

SCOTT: Good night.
Whose jacket is this?

Right here.
Here you go. Good night.

Down the stairs.
Thank you. Thank you.

Good night. Thank you.

MAN: I think you got
to call the guy, 'cause
I can't talk to that guy.

SCOTT: Sit.

(SIGHS)

Don't say anything.

(SIGHS)

Can I just tell you. . .

If you say anything about
politics or the campaign,

or what speech you
have to give or anything,

I swear to God I'm gonna
stab you with this fork.

I just wanted to say that
this is the most wonderful
dinner I have ever had.

If we lose this,
it'll just be
you and me again.

I promise.

I'm sorry, I just. . .

No, I know.
I know, I know.

(TIRES SCREECH)

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

Phoenix.

At least now
you look gay.

(SIGHS)

Let's go inside.

CLEVE: Are you
staying up with me?

The election's tomorrow.
I won't sleep anyway.

Was he handsome?

Oh, no!
He was hideous.

Usually when my lovers leave,
they cheat with even more
attractive men.

(SIGHS)

I actually thought
we were gonna spend the
rest of our lives together.

Well,
guess what,
Cleve Jones.

What?

You're going
to meet the most
extraordinary men,

the sexiest,
funniest,
brightest men.

You're going to meet
so many of them, fall in
love with so many of them,

you won't know till
the end of your life

which ones were your greatest
lovers and which were your
greatest friends.

Is that supposed to help?

Maybe a little. Or not.

(SHUDDERS)

(SIGHS DEEPLY)

I went to
Spain last month.

Long story.

In Barcelona, there
was this memorial march

for gay people that
had died under Franco.

Of course, the police
tried to break it up.

But these queens didn't run.
No.

They turned around and
they started a fucking
riot.

I saw a bullet, one of
those big rubber bullets

rip through
a drag queen's scalp,
but she kept on fighting.

She was screaming,
but she kept on fighting.

I mean. . .

Our lives.

There was
blood literally
running in the gutter.

In a gutter.

We could have
a revolution here.

But you can't use the
Castro just to cruise.

You have to fight.

You really think you'll win?

(SIGHS) Winning is
not my strong suit.

Well,

I don't do losing, ever.

Maybe I should
run for office and
you can work for me.

I mean, if you can do it. . .

Can you assemble
a thousand people
in an hour?

Fuck, yeah.

Well, if I run again,
you're gonna be my man.

If?

(SOFTLY) You're so adorable.

The polls are open in 3 hours.

How about you and
I hit the bus stops?

Okay.

(SINGING) Yes, Jesus

Loves me

MAN ON TV: Anita Bryant was
once known as an orange
juice saleswoman.

Hi, I'm Anita Bryant.

Hi, I'm Anita Bryant.

Hello, I'm Anita Bryant.

MAN ON TV: With a religious
fervor that has made her
America's most

controversial woman overnight,

her group is crusading to
repeal a new Dade County law,

which protects homosexuals
in jobs and housing.

I believe that
more than ever before,
that there are evil forces

round about us,

even perhaps disguised
as something good,

that would
want to tear down

the very foundation,
the family unit,
that holds America together.

There are
those people
who say that it is

kind of
an eye for an eye
law that is at work here,

that you're
denying homosexuals
many of their rights as well.

You see, if homosexuals
are allowed their
civil rights,

then so would prostitutes
or thieves or anyone else.

God puts it in
a category of morality.

MAN ON TV: Doesn't that
necessarily follow that
you believe that

homosexuality
ought to be illegal?

ANITA:
I do believe that
it should be illegal.

Well, we lost, but
we didn't lose by much.

More votes than ever!

That used to
make you laugh.

Harvey, I got to
show you something.

This is incredible.

If we can get that new
initiative on district
elections to go through,

and we can, we can,

the boundary for the
new supervisor district

is gonna go right
down Market Street,

right around the
Haight like this,

and right around
the Castro.

The Haight and the Castro.
That's it.

If these are the only
people we have to convince,
the hippies and the gays,

you win, you win.

You win by a landslide.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

You'll be the first
openly gay man elected to
major office in the U.S.

I don't know if I
have another one in me.

Or Scotty.

Yeah, well.

Relentless man.
Oh, you're a relentless man.

ANNOUNCER: This is
the CBS Evening News
with Walter Cronkite.

The battle over homosexual
rights in Dade County,
Florida.

The battle pitting
singer Anita Bryant

against gay rights activist
comes to a vote there Tuesday.

The issue was whether or not
to repeal a four-month-old
ordinance,

which prohibits job and
housing discrimination
against homosexuals.

REPORTER ON TV:
In anticipation
of the vote,

the gay community
has staged protests

in New York and other major
cities across the country.

MAN ON TV:
The vote is going
now 18,930 for repeal.

Oh, give me
a fucking break.

Eighty eight hundred
sixty nine against repeal.

Virgil, is that enough for
you to make a projection?

Yes, I think very definitely
that the ordinance is going
to be repealed.

With this margin, it's over.

Tonight, the laws of God

and the cultural values
of man have been vindicated.

The people
of Dade County,
the normal majority,

have said,
''Enough, enough, enough.''

MAN ON TV: Singer
Anita Bryant's
well publicized...

(PHONE RINGING)

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

Scotty?

I'm sorry, sir, I read
about you in the paper.

HARVEY: I'm sorry.
I can't talk right now.

Sir, I think I'm
gonna kill myself.

No. You don't
want to do that.

Where are you calling from?

Minnesota.

You saw my picture in
the paper in Minnesota?

How did I look?

My folks are gonna take me
to this place tomorrow.
A hospital. To fix me.

There's nothing wrong
with you. Listen to me.

You just get on a bus to
the nearest biggest city.

Los Angeles
or New York or
San Francisco,

it doesn't matter,
you just leave.

And you are not sick,

and you are not wrong
and God does not hate you.

Just leave.

I can't.
I can't walk, sir.

WOMAN: Paul, I need
you to come out here.

Hello?

Harvey!

Hello?

(DIAL TONE DRONING)

Oh, shit.

Harvey,
you better come down,
there's going to be a riot.

Harvey,
you should
get to the stage.

Bring him the stage, guys.

If you can't control
them, we will.

Just get me permission
to march them.

Where?

Anywhere.

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

Out of the bar
and into the streets!

Anita Bryant's
coming for you !

(BLOWS WHISTLE)

Out of the bar
and into the streets!

Anita Bryant's
coming for you !

(ALL CHANTING)
We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

We have vowed
to fight back!

(ALL CHEERING)

I know you are angry.

(CROWD EXCLAIMING)

I am angry!

Let's march the streets
of San Francisco and
share our anger!

(CROWD CHEERING)

(ALL CHANTING)
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

(CROWD CHANTING)
Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

Gay rights now!
Gay rights now!

(SIREN WAILING)

(CROWD CLAMORING)

My name is Harvey Milk
and I want to recruit you.

(CROWD CHEERING)

I am here tonight to say

that we will no longer
sit quietly in the closet.

We must fight.

And not only
in the Castro,

not only in
San Francisco,

but everywhere
the Anitas go.

Anita Bryant
did not win tonight.

Anita Bryant
brought us together!

(CROWD CHEERS)

She is going to create
a national gay force!

(CROWD CHEERING)

(CROWD APPLAUDING)

And the young people
in Jackson, Mississippi,

in Minnesota,
in the Richmond,

in Woodmere, New York,

who are hearing
her on television,

hearing Anita Bryant
on television,

telling them
they are sick,
they are wrong,

there is no place in
this great country
for them,

no place in this world,

they are looking to us
for something tonight.

And I say

we have got to
give them hope!

(CROWD CHEERING)

Hope!

Hope!

. . .for a better world.
Hope for a better tomorrow.

Hope for a better place to
come into if the pressures
at home are too great.

Hope for the worker who
awakens from the
American dream

only to find that
all the jobs have
left the country.

We've got to
give them hope.

When San Francisco
changed its voting
rules,

When San Francisco
changed its voting
rules,

so that people could elect
people from their own
neighborhood,

so that the blacks could elect
a African-American supervisor,

and in Chinatown, they could
elect a Chinese supervisor,

and in the Castro, they could
choose between myself and
Rick Stokes.

But decent art
begs balance, right?

So, little district eight,
two miles south of the Castro,

still very much the same.
Irish Catholic, conservative.

And with
just the right
amount of poetry,

they found themselves
a handsome ex-cop.

See, I'm not going to be
forced out of San Francisco

by splinter groups of social
radicals, social deviants,
and incorrigibles.

Now you must realize that
there are thousands upon
thousands of frustrated,

angry people,
such as yourselves,

just waiting to unleash
a fury that will eradicate

the malignancies that
blight our beautiful city.

Just one more. We can't
let Rick Stokes take
this one.

Let Rick Stokes
take it.

(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING)

Sorry.

I can't do another one.

Oh, God damn it.

Bring out the old,
bring in the new.

This is over. Done.

I don't want to see one more
thing that says fucking
Assembly on it.

'Cause this
three time faggot loser
is running for supervisor.

There she is.
JIM: Who the heck is that?

HARVEY: That's our
new campaign manager.

She called last week
to volunteer and
I asked for her help.

Help or take over?
What about Scott?

We need new blood.

Gentlemen, Anne Kronenberg.
A woman.

A woman
who likes women.
And that's odd, isn't it?

Hi, guys.

Mr. Milk,
Rick Stokes
isn't pulling out.

He's officially filed
to run against you.

My friend at The Advocate
says David Goodstein
is backing him.

So, a gay candidate
against a gay candidate.

That's unfortunate.

Let's find out when
they are going to
announce.

DICK:
So you replaced
Scott with a lesbian?

Anne worked
on a recycling
campaign up north.

She's very, very organized.
We need that.

JIM: How do you know she's
not a plant for Rick Stokes?

Are you guys
always this paranoid?

Yes. We take after Harvey.

Don't you have someone's
laundry to do?

Shouldn't you be at
a hairdressing convention?

(EXCLAIMS)

Sir, my girlfriends say
you guys don't like women.

I'm just asking.

Is there a place for us
in all this or are you
all scared of girls?

Okay, gentlemen,

we've
already got a tinker
bell, a lotus blossom.

We've got Jim and Dick
in their three-piece suits.

We need someone
to manage things.
A woman this time.

Plus,
she's the right price,

and she's got
bigger balls than
anybody else in here.

Just give me whatever
is in the register at
the end of the day.

So should I call The Chronicle
about getting us an actual
endorsement this time?

No?

Yeah, call The Chronicle,
sweetheart. Tell them I
said hi.

Please call. In fact,
don't drive down there.

You'll scare
the shit out of them.

Call.

All right.

Hi, I'm Cleve.

Anne. Good to meet you.

I was telling Harvey
we needed some tough
dykes around here, so. . .

Well, you got one.

(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING)

(DOOR OPENING)

ANNE: All right.

First ever newspaper
endorsement.

And we got
the Bay Guardian,

The Sentinel and
The Bay Area Reporter.

You are
pulling your weight.
Oh, this is sensational !

They endorsed you for
being a good businessman?

Oh, my gosh,
you really are
a miracle worker.

Scott has got to read this.
He's just gonna piss himself.

Yeah,
you should show him.

You know what
you should do,
Cleve,

you should get yourself
a boy to celebrate with,
just in case we win.

Anybody want to
buy me a drink?

Oh, I will buy you
a drink.

How about a bottle
of champagne?

(ANNE LAUGHING)

We are going to The Stud
right fucking now.

Harvey, are
you going to come?
You're gonna miss out?

HARVEY: Go, go, go, go.
I want to be with
my newspaper.

(ANNE GIGGLES)

Come on, let's go.
Come on, I'm buying.

You're not buying.
You don't have any money.

Gonna win this time, Milk?

(MUSIC STOPS)

You look more
handsome in the poster.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, thank you.

You know, palominos
are my favorite horse.

They're smart.

But they're
compact and fast.

I like that.

You think I'm more
like a palomino,

or a stallion?

You know,
with big balls and. . .

Oh, oh, oh, oh !
Here, let me help you.

You okay?

Yeah, it's. . .
Come in.

Here, just lean on me.

Thank you.
What happened?

I don't know,
these boots are
too big for me.

HARVEY: Oh, well,
let's get you in and
get those off your feet.

HARVEY: Where you going?

JACK: I have
some things to do.

I got to go and meet
some friends. No, no, no.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(JACK MOANING)

JACK: My father beat
me when he found out.

So, that's
why I came here.

But,
I'm living with this
guy that. . . I don't know.

I don't like him.

Nobody will
ever beat you again.

I love you.
I love you.

Do you even
remember my name?

(JACK CHUCKLES)

No.

Harvey.

I'm Harvey.

(SOFTLY)
Harvey, I love you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

HARVEY:
For the first time,
it all came together.

The union boys, women,
the seniors, the gays
and minorities.

All of the ''us's''
showed up.

MAN ON TV: We can hear it,
we can't really see too much,

but it looks and sounds
to you and to me

like New Year's Eve
on Market Street.

We did it!

I love you all !

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

(ALL CHATTERING)

We are the movement.
We are the movement.
Thank you so much.

Come on,
we just want to
congratulate him.

No, I understand, but
right now we're all full.

Harvey!

JACK: Harvey!
Harvey!

JACK: Hey, Harvey!

Hey.

Sorry, it's just so crowded.

Come in, sorry, sorry.

It's so crowded.
It's just so crowded.

MAN: Harvey, man !

(ALL CHEERING)

Scotty!

Is this all for you, Harvey?
Are you this famous, baby?

No, we do this all the time.
You like it?

Yeah.

The new Mrs. Milk.
I give it a week.

Gordon Lau, Carol Ruth Silver.
It's the most liberal board
in years. In history!

What about Dan White?
Did he win?

We'll deal
with him tomorrow.
Oh, God.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

WOMAN ON TV:
Does this mean, as many
straights are concerned,

maybe the gays are taking
over San Francisco?

Are you going
to be a supervisor
for all the people?

Well, I have to be.
That's what I was
elected for.

I have to be there to
open for the dialog,

for the sensitivities
of all people and all
their problems.

The problems
that affect this
city, affect us all.

Okay, well,
congratulations.

Thank you.
Thank you, San Francisco!

And that's Harvey Milk,

celebrating his election to
the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors.

For Channel Five news,
I'm Mary Dilts.

GEORGE:
I, Harvey Milk,
do solemnly swear...

HARVEY:
I, Harvey Milk,
do solemnly swear...

GEORGE: That I will support
and defend the Constitution
of the United States...

HARVEY: That I will support
and defend the Constitution
of the United States...

GEORGE: During such time as I
hold the office of supervisor,

City and County
of San Francisco.

During such time as I
hold the office of
supervisor,

City and County
of San Francisco.

Congratulations, Harvey.
Thank you, Mayor.

(PEOPLE WHOOPING)

Anita Bryant said that it
was gay people that brought
the drought to California.

Well, it looks
to me as though it's
finally started raining.

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

WOMAN ON TV: This will be
the first time in many years

that we've seen
so many new faces on
the Board of Supervisors.

Do you
think such diversity
will cripple the board?

Well, the name of the
game is six votes to
get anything passed.

So,
whether you
like it or not,

Dan and I are
in bed together.

Politically speaking.

DAN:
You see, I've assured
Harvey here that, uh,

my brochure's comments
about social deviants

referred more to junkies
than to his people.

See, I'm about to
have my first child

and I had to make sure that
this city remains a decent
place to raise him.

WOMAN: Well, thank you
so much for coming on
the show, gentlemen,

and we'll see what happens.

HARVEY: That's it?
It's over? We're finished?

Yes.

That was quick.
Thank you.

HARVEY:
How long were
you a fireman, Dan?

A couple of years.

And you were a police
officer before that?

You got something
against cops, Harv?

No, no. They tend
to against me though.

But firefighters,
they're the true heroes.

They supported me
on my last campaign.
I fully support them.

I appreciate that.

I meant what I said.
I'd like to work together.

Me, too.
I'll see you later.

Okay.

Oh.
What do you think
of my new theater?

A bit over the top.

HARVEY: You're
wearing a suit?

I got it
from a friend.

HARVEY:
No, no, no, no.

Anytime you come here,
I want you to wear the
tightest jeans possible.

Never blend in.
And never take
the elevator.

Always use
the stairs.

You can make such
a grand entrance by
taking these stairs.

Hello.

Carol, friend.

Dan White.

Hello, Dianne.

And then this is
Gordon Lau's office.

Anne,
can you set
Cleve up on mail?

Will do.

(CLEVE WHISTLES)

HARVEY: Okay,

first order of business
to come out of this office

is a citywide
Gay Rights Ordinance,

just like the one that
Anita shot down in
Dade County.

What do you think,
Lotus Blossom?

I think it's good.
It's not great.

Okay, so make it brilliant.
We want Anita's attention
here in San Francisco.

I want
her to bring
her fight to us.

We need
a unanimous vote,
we need headlines.

Dan White is not
gonna vote for this.

Dan White will be fine.

Dan White is
just uneducated.
We'll teach him.

Hey, Harv,
committee meets at 9:30.

Hey, you guys.

Say, did you
get the invitation
to my son's christening?

I invited a few of
the other Supes, too.

HARVEY: Oh, I'll be there.

Great! Thanks.

(SOFTLY)
Did he hear you?
What the fuck!

ANNE: Are you going?

I would let him christen me
if it means he's gonna vote
for the Gay Rights Ordinance.

We need allies.
We need everyone.

I don't think
he heard you.

Is it just me
or is he cute?

(KNOCK ON WINDOW)

HARVEY: Jack?

Welcome home, Harvey.
I hope you're hungry.

I just know how
to cook one thing,
but I make it good.

Come.

Jack,
did you break in?

No, no, no.
I asked the little boy
downstairs to let me in.

Danny?
Yeah.

He wouldn't let me,
so I came in this way.

You know, your friends
aren't very nice to me,
Harvey.

HARVEY: I have a Town Hall
meeting tonight.

Sit down.
Come, five minutes.
That's it. Come, please.

There you go.

I watched TV here
today, all day.

I saw All My Children.

And they killed Margo.
But I knew it was
going to happen.

You know, they always
try and trick you but
it never works.

You always
see it coming.

What? Killing the blonde?
Yeah, I'm good with that.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING SOFTLY)

Jack.
What?

If I make you a key,

will you
promise never
to break in again?

That's right.

(JACK CHUCKLES)

Is it your will that Charles
should be baptized in the
faith of the church

which we have all
professed with you?

It is.
It is.

Charles, I baptize you
in the name of the Father

and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.

God, the father of
our Lord Jesus Christ
has freed you from sin. . .

HARVEY: I'm proposing
a citywide ordinance

which would ensure that any
person who already has a job

cannot be fired on the
basis of sexual orientation.

I don't think
my constituents
would favor that, Harvey.

Is there anyone else here
from the board today, Dan?

You're the only one
who showed, I think.

Were you
christened here?

I was.
Right here,
same parish.

My grandma immigrated
here when this was an
Irish Catholic city,

the City of Saint Francis.

But a lot's changed here
since then, you know.

You're more like one
of us now, an outsider.

You're not like
most homosexuals,
are you, Harvey?

Do you know a lot
of homosexuals, Dan?

Hey, where do you stand
on the Psychiatric Center

that the city's been
pushing into my district?

Well, I'd have
to study it. . .

It was a key
piece on my platform.
Getting it out of my district.

It only attracts arsonists,
rapists, that sort of thing,
you know.

A campaign promise.

A big one.
Sure.

What do you say we watch out
for each other's interests?
I would really like that.

I'd like that too, Dan.
Good.

Sorry, hon,
we just slipped
into some shop talk.

The Gay Rights Ordinance.
My fault.

Seems like
an inappropriate
subject, don't you think?

Oh, don't knock it
till you've tried it.

(CRYING)

Hello.
Oh, oh, but you had
such a beautiful christening.

DICK: Supervisors Silver
and Lau are asking you
to vote

to keep this Psychiatric
Center in Dan's district.

It'll go down six to five
if you vote to get rid of it.

MICHAEL:
It's a youth
campus, Harvey.

And these
are kids that would
be displaced from families.

I can't just dump Dan.
He's got nothing
going for him.

No friends. . .

CLEVE: Oh, God, oh, God !
Here we go, here we go.
Harvey to the rescue.

Isn't it enough that we
have to put up with Jack?

All right, lay off.
He registered 120
voters last week.

Okay, so do any
of your volunteers,

but you don't go and
make them all first lady.

Harvey, what does
Dan White do for you?

Really, politically.

HARVEY: He intrigues me.
I think he may be one of us.

No, no.

It's just a theory.

DICK: You just
think he's cute.

No, no.
I know what it's
like to live that life.

That lie. I can
see it in Dan's eyes.
That fear, the pressure.

(ANNE CLEARS THROAT)

HARVEY: Good or bad?
Not great.

State Senator John Briggs
is Anita Bryant's go-to guy
in California for sure.

He filed a petition for
a statewide referendum

to fire all gay teachers
and anyone who supports them.

HARVEY: How many signatures
does he need to get on the
ballot?

Oh, whatever. He can get them
in two Sundays at church in
Orange fucking County.

So, this means that
the fight is coming here,

where we can do
something about it.

HEIDI ON TV:
The issue in California
is whether school boards

should be allowed
to fire teachers who
are known homosexuals.

The courts have
ruled they cannot.

Boards must prove
a teacher's homosexuality
adversely affects children

and makes them unfit
for the classroom.

State Senator John Briggs
wants to change that.

My proposition promises to
protect our children from
these gay perverts and. . .

(PEOPLE EXCLAIM)

These gay perverts
and pedophiles who
recruit our children

to participate in their
deviant lifestyle,

including the ones who do
it in our public schools.

The time has come
for us to root them out.

(CROWD BOOING)

How are you going
to determine
who's homosexual?

JOHN: I'm sorry, sir, what?

How are you going
to determine
who's homosexual?

Sir, my bill has procedures
for identifying homosexuals.

Oh, yeah, how?
Will you be sucking
them off, Briggs?

Excuse me.
You know what,
you can argue with me,

you cannot
argue with God.

(ALL BOOING)

Harvey, I can't believe it.

No, he wants my job.
You want my job,
you prick!

MAN ON TV: Sir, you were
here when State Senator
Briggs was on the steps.

What do you
think about that?

Well, I think what you saw,
you saw some very committed
opposition to his proposition.

And I think that's
only going to continue.

People have
very emotional
reactions to this.

This is their lives
that are on the line.

MAN: What's going to happen?

Well, look what
happened in Germany.

I mean, Anita Bryant has
already said that the Jews
and Muslims are going to hell.

So, you know she
has a shopping list.

And we are not going to let
the John Briggs' or
the Anita Bryants

legislate bigotry
in this state.

Hello, Harvey,
running late?

Your boyfriend
is in the closet.

Excuse me, David.

The Latino has locked
himself in the closet
upstairs.

Harvey, Harvey,
Phil Burton is here.

He's likely the next
Speaker of the House

and a very
important ally
against Proposition 6.

So, please,
no scenes, all right?

You're right.
I was late by
20 minutes.

So come on out, Jack.

JACK: Who were you with?
Scott? Or with a new boy
you were trying to save?

I was at work.
Come on out,
sweet pea.

You embarrassed me,
Harvey.

I didn't know anyone down
there and they're bad people.

I just want to go, okay?

Then you should go home.

No, I want to stay.
I want to stay here.

So, you go away, okay?
Go away!

DAVID: The Briggs
initiative is polling at
75% for approval statewide.

80% in other polls.
Some even have us
losing San Francisco.

DAVID: We deceive people
into thinking we can
beat this,

we'll have
riots and only
increase the backlash.

That's a good point, David.

Maybe we should just roll over
and make it easier for Briggs
to fuck us in the ass.

We're taking this very
seriously in my office.

We want to send one of these
to every home in California
and that takes money.

''Proposition 6 is
an affront to human rights.

''An invasion of the state
into the private lives of
California citizens.''

Without a single mention
of the word gay on the
entire flyer.

By design, Harvey.

RICK: Corey Wares is an out gay teacher. . .
Rick. . .

With the heat bearing down
on your movement right now,

we feel it's best
to dodge the gay bullet.
Go for the human rights angle.

People need to know
who it is that's
being affected.

You need at least one
old queer on this flyer.

Excuse me, yeah.
Maybe you should
volunteer for that, David.

This is shit. This is
shit and masturbation.

It's just
a coward's response
to a dangerous threat.

Come on, Jack.
It's time to go.

(WHISPERING) Get everyone
together at your place.

I want young people,
I want women,
I want fresh heads.

Get organizers and fighters,
not politicians.
Come on, Jack.

(SOFTLY)
What about S-C-O-T-T?

Yeah.

Jack, come on.

We have to
fight the machine.

We have to
fight the machine.

They don't want to change,
they want to stay in the past.

MAN 1: Stop and be
realistic about it.

Realistic? We're not
interested in staying in
the closet, losing Prop 6.

MAN 2: We're all
on the same side, man,
we're on the same side.

(ALL CHATTERING)

HARVEY: Hey, is anybody
gonna pay the pizza guy or
we're just gonna stare?

MAN 3: How could
we not stare?

Here, put out your hand.

You are shameless.
You are shameless.

I mean,
I'm proud of you
but you're just terrible.

Hey.

We're going to
convince the 90%

to give a shit
about us 10%.

We have to let them
know who we are.

Everybody has to come out.

Across the entire state,
no matter where they live.

Come out, come out,
wherever you are.

If we're going to beat Prop 6,
we tell all of them to
come out.

Every
gay lawyer, teacher,
doctor, dog catcher.

We have to
leave the ghetto.

We have to let all those
people out there know
that they know one of us.

And if
somebody doesn't want
to step out of the closet,

we open the door for them.

ANNE: Jesus.

The whole state isn't
San Francisco, Harvey.

Clearly, Scott.

JIM: Harvey, that could
be really, really dangerous.

I mean,
there's such a thing
as a right to privacy.

Privacy.

In this movement,
at this time,

I'm not saying this
as a supervisor,
privacy is the enemy.

And if you want
real political power,
if that's what you want,

try telling the truth
for a change.

All right? Starting here.

If there's anyone in
this room, right now,

who hasn't told
their families,

their friends,
their employers,

do it now.

My folks know already.

My dad doesn't know yet.

They vote for us
two to one.

If they know,
they know one of us.

DICK:
As much as I'm sure
you'd all like to watch,

I don't think
that's such a good idea.

Cleve, could you show Dick
where there's a phone where
he could speak in private?

CLEVE: There's
one in the bedroom.

I just found
myself clawing over him,
literally running to get him.

Oh, good night.
Good night.

Ciao, gang.
CLEVE: Sleep tight.

HARVEY: I thought
you got out of politics.

SCOTT: Politics.
Not the movement.

What the hell
was that in there?

HARVEY: The movement
needs people to be
upfront.

Why were you
fighting me in there?

Those are kids in there.
You're asking them to
lose their families.

If their families don't
love them for who they are,

who they really are,
then they should
lose them.

That's fucking insane.

You were the biggest
closet case in New York.

You asked me and
all your boyfriends
to keep our traps shut.

I mean,
you're being
the hypocrite.

My parents are gone.
My brother knew.
I'm sure they knew.

How many times did I
have to listen to
calls to Mom,

where you
denied my existence?

And you want to be
normal like anybody.
More than anybody.

Who's he?
You live together?

Someone I'm seeing.

Keeps me
out of trouble,
out of the bars.

I miss you.

Harvey,

what's that about?

JACK: Harvey.

He needs me.

DAN: If there is an air
of dishonesty with this
board and its members,

that is repugnant. . .

I have told no lies today
or to Supervisor White
in the past.

DIANNE: Supervisor Milk,
you will come to order.

HARVEY: I would like it
noted that I never promised

to back moving any
mental health centers.

And that with great respect
to Supervisor White, I would
like his remarks stricken.

Duly noted. We will
take a 10 minute recess
before recording the vote.

CAROL: Thank you, Harvey.

Can I have
a moment with Harvey?
Alone, please, Carol?

Why? Why are you
turning on me like this?

At the last minute?
What did I do?

I never
got the details.

Dan, if you want
me to help you draft
another version of it

that doesn't shanghai every
troubled kid in your area,
I'll be happy to.

Harvey, I can't go back
to my family, to my folks,
to my district without this.

Don't do this.
Well, I have a lot
of pressure on me.

So, you're just
stringing me along

and then you're just gonna
throw me to the wolves,
is that it?

Dan,
you only need
one more vote.

You've got five
other supervisors you
can convince besides me.

I'm gonna vote against your
queer law and I'm gonna get
Quentin against it, too.

Oh, it's gonna pass anyway and
you can't keep alienating
yourself here, Dan.

I gave you a chance, Harvey,
okay? I gave you a chance
and you blew it!

You blew it.

The city council in
St. Paul, Minnesota

passed a law guaranteeing,
among other things,

equal rights in housing,
employment and education,

regardless of
sexual preference.

Now, voters in that city have
made their disapproval clear.

Homosexuality is a question
facing the voters of Eugene,
Oregon tomorrow.

A referendum to repeal
gay rights protection.

HARVEY: So, while we
were fighting Proposition
6 and Briggs in California,

I needed to put
a show on the road.

And our next stop,
Wichita, Kansas.

Voters of Wichita, Kansas
have overwhelmingly repealed

a city law
protecting homosexuals

against discrimination
in jobs and housing.

MAN ON TV:
Only two hours
after the polls closed,

the church organization that
started the repeal action
was celebrating victory.

Hey, Lawrence, it's Cleve.

Hey, we're losing Wichita.

So rally tonight sundown
at Market and Castro, okay?

Okay, bye.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello?

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

(PHONES RINGING)

CLEVE: Jerry. Hey,
we're losing Wichita. . .

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

CLEVE:
They're moving.
I don't know where.

Did Jim call the press?
You get out there with
your camera.

Press is covered.
But we don't have
a permit to march.

Hurry up.

When I got Coors
beer out of the bars,
the union boys gave me this.

I want you
to take it now.

What am I supposed
to do with this?

You're an activist now,
you're gonna march them.

I want you to march
them right up to the
front doors of City Hall.

When things start
to look really bad,

the city's first
gay supervisor will come
out and play peacemaker.

Do it with me.

Hello.

Forty years ago, tonight,

the gay citizens of Germany
found out they no longer
had civil rights.

(PEOPLE EXCLAIMING)

Tomorrow morning,
the gay citizens of
Wichita will also awaken

to find that they too
have lost their civil rights!

You have whistles.
You use them when we
have been attacked.

Tonight we have been attacked.

MAN: Come on, the crowd
is leaving without us!

Shit!

(PEOPLE SHOUTING)

Get the press
to the marquee.

Move left! Move left!

JIM: What are you doing?
What are you doing?
Where's Harvey?

We're shutting down traffic,
both directions.

MAN: Cameras are rolling.

Okay, disconnect
the power arm !

Civil rights
or civil war!
Gay rights now!

Civil rights
or civil war!
Gay rights now!

ALL: (CHANTING) Civil rights
or civil war! Gay rights now!

Civil rights or civil war!
Gay rights now!

Civil rights or civil war!
Gay rights now!

Anita!

Anita, you're a liar!
We'll set your hair on fire!

ALL: Anita, you're a liar!

Anita, you're a liar!
We'll set your hair on fire!

Anita, you're a liar!
We'll set your hair on fire!

HARVEY: Okay, okay!

My name is Harvey Milk
and I'm here to recruit you.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

They're calling it
a successful mediation.

You're a goddamn hero. Fuck,
we came this close to a riot.

Next time
put down the note cards.

You got to keep talking into
that bullhorn and tell them
what they're feeling.

CLEVE: Oh,
you're just jealous
it wasn't you out there.

HARVEY: We're losing
Proposition 6 by 60%,

and you're over there
celebrating a riot.

What we need is exposure.

If we're gonna
beat this thing,

we got to get Briggs
to acknowledge it.

ANNE: Every paper's
calling Prop 6
the main event now.

We lose this,
we'll have anti-gay
laws in all 50 states,

and Briggs won't answer our
calls for a public debate.

DICK: He's trying
to ignore us to death.

HARVEY: We need
something populist.

What's the number one
problem in this city?

CLEVE: The fucking piss
smell in the Tenderloin.

HARVEY: Close.

FRANK: Dog shit.

If you clean up the
dog shit in this town,
you're the next mayor.

MAN ON TV:
Supervisor Milk
took to the grassy lawn

at Duboce Park
this afternoon to
publicize the new law.

Dog mess is a hazard
and on top of that,
it's disgusting.

So under the new ordinance,
all dog owners who don't
clean up their mess

will be fined.

MAN ON TV: Milk put his
foot down to emphasize that
the city intends to enforce,

and you guessed it.

In Supervisor Milk's words,
''This really is the
bottom line.''

GORDON: Aye.

CLERK: Lau, aye.
Supervisor Hutch?

Aye.

CLERK: Hutch, aye.
Supervisor White?

No.

CLERK: White, no.
Supervisor Silver?

Aye.

CLERK:
Silver, aye.
Supervisor Milk?

Aye.

CLERK: Milk, aye.

Madam President,
I have ten ayes
and one no.

DIANNE:
The San Francisco
Gay Rights Ordinance

sponsored by Supervisors
Milk and Silver is passed.

(PEOPLE CHEERING)

GEORGE: I can't get
my stories on page ten,
you're getting page one?

Doggy-doo is a
real issue, George.

A powder blue pen
to sign the city's
first gay rights law.

(ALL LAUGHING)

I don't do this enough,
taking swift
and unambiguous action

on a substantive
move for civil rights.

Congratulations.

George,
we need your
help with Briggs.

The gay community
will have your back on
every issue from now on.

We hope you'll have ours.

HARVEY:
What are you
working on, Dan?

If you have something
to discuss, Harvey,

you can have your aide make
an appointment with my aide.

Dan, I know you're upset
about the psychiatric center.

What else do you
have coming up?

Now you need
something from me.

(SCOFFS)

What do you want,
me to support the queers
against Prop 6, is that it?

We prefer the term gay, Dan.

Just as I'm sure you prefer
the term Irish-American
instead of mick.

Harvey, a society can't
exist without the family.

We're not against that.
You're not?

What, can two men reproduce?

No.

But God knows
we keep trying.

(CHUCKLES)

This isn't you, Dan.

It's like
you're channeling
Anita and Briggs.

We got to
be able to work
together on something.

Okay, Milk,

introduce an initiative
for supervisor pay raises.

Dan, we both have
elections coming up.
We can't do that.

No, you asked for something.

Introduce pay raises,
'cause I can't take care
of my family on our salaries.

You don't have that
problem, do you?

MAN ON TV:
Senator John Briggs
apparently has not flinched

in the face of statewide
criticism of his anti-gay
crusade.

He says polls show
most of the people
are still on his side.

Especially those concerned
with the preservation of
the American family.

If these people are going
to live a life of such
open homosexuality,

that they want a 21 gun salute
every time somebody walks
by them,

those people are going
to be in danger of being
removed from their job.

ALL: (SINGING)
Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Harvey

Happy birthday to you

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

What's wrong, taco?

It's just that
Cleve and Anne,

they tried to cut me
out of your table, baby.

I'm so sick of that bitch.
You should fire them.

I'll take it
under consideration.

Would you go
get us some cake?

Cake?
Yeah.

Whatever you want.

Don't let Cesar Chavez
hear you calling him taco.

He's getting much better.
He's enrolling in classes
on Monday, I hope.

You know, I remember
when your birthdays were

a lot less lavish and
a little more intimate.

Who invited you? Anne?

No, my boyfriend.
I'm his plus one.

Well, congratulations.
It was a very hard
ticket to get.

Congratulations to you.
Looks like you're part
of the machine now.

By the way,
you can do better.

When I come home to Jack,
I don't have to talk
politics,

I don't have
to talk intelligently.
I don't have to talk at all.

And besides, where's an ugly
old man like me gonna find a
handsome young man like that?

You're not that old
and you look handsome.

Happy 48. Looks
like you're gonna make it
to 50 after all, Mr. Milk.

Harvey!

(EXCLAIMS)

DAN: Harvey, Harvey!

Is your birthday party
over?

Well, it's just
winding down. Hi.

Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I missed
your birthday party.

No, it's no problem.
It's good to see you, Dan.

I'm sorry. It's good
to see you too, Harvey.

Oh, I wanted to ask
you about the dog poop.

Yeah.

That's good.
It's a really good one.

(CHUCKLES)
It's a good one.

Hey, I got you
a little something.

You didn't have to.

I knew you were
going to say that.

Why do people
always say that?

''You didn't have to.''
I mean, of course,
right?

But that's what
they always say.

They always say
things like that.

Always.

Are you okay, Dan?

Yeah.

Are you okay, Harvey?

Are we okay?
Okay.

I've learned
a lot from watching you.
I doubt that.

No, I have. I've realized
you just gotta get out there.

You gotta be noticed,
'cause that's how
it all works.

But you have an issue.
See, that's your advantage.

That's an advantage.

Dan,
it's more than an issue.

What?
I. . .

Dan, I have had four
relationships in my life.

And three of them have
tried to commit suicide.
And that's my fault,

because I kept them hidden
and quiet, because I was
closeted and weak.

You see what I'm saying?
Yes.

You do?
Mmm-hmm.

This is not just jobs
or issues, this is our
lives we're fighting for.

Okay?
All right.

Okay, Dan. . .
I've learned a lot
from you, Harvey.

I'm getting back
to my party now.

I'm going to get my
picture in the papers, too.

Why are you even here?
Why did you just show
up from somewhere?

I've got my own issues. Okay?
HARVEY: Okay.

I've got my own issues.
JACK: Thank you.

''Thank you.'' Whatever.

I don't even know who you are.
You just showed up out of
nowhere, Latino man.

Dan White's got an issue!

John Briggs said this morning
that Dade County, Oklahoma,
and St. Paul, Minnesota

John Briggs said this morning
that Dade County, Oklahoma,
and St. Paul, Minnesota

were only preliminary battles.

He called his California
campaign against homosexual
teachers the main event.

What it's doing,
what these people
are doing is

changing our morals from
our religious background.
And I don't want that.

This came in
the mail today.

''You get the first bullet
the minute you stand
at the microphone.''

MAN ON MICROPHONE:
...Supervisor Harvey Milk.

Well, publicity's working.

You don't have
to go up there.

The whole nation is watching.
I have to go.

My name is Harvey Milk
and I'm here to recruit you!

I want to recruit you for
the fight to preserve
your democracy!

Brothers and sisters,
you must come out!

Come out to your parents,

come out to your friends,
if indeed they are your
friends.

Come out to your neighbors,
come out to your fellow
workers.

Once and for all,
let's break down
the myths

and destroy the lies
and distortions.

(ALL CHEERING)

For your sake,
for their sake.

For the sake of
all the youngsters
who've been scared

by the votes
from Dade to
Eugene.

On the Statue of Liberty,
it says,

''Give me your tired,
your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to be free.''

(ALL CHEERING)

In the Declaration of
Independence it is written,

''AII men are created
equal and endowed with
certain inalienable rights.''

So, for Mr. Briggs,

(ALL BOOING)

and Mrs. Bryant,

(ALL BOOING)

and all the bigots
out there,

no matter how hard you try,

you can never erase
those words from the
Declaration of Independence!

No matter how hard you try,
you can never chip those words

from the base of
the Statue of Liberty!

That is where America is!

Love it or leave it!

Okay, the mayor says Briggs
is on his way here and that
he could intercept him for us.

We could get him face to face.
Go get the press.

All right.

Well, I see
naked men walking around,
naked women walking around,

which doesn't bother me
as far as my personal
standards of nudity,

but it's not proper.
It wouldn't be allowed for any
other parade in San Francisco,

and it should not be
allowed for the Gay Parade.

I have a right to be at
this parade, Mr. Mayor.

I'm afraid it's not in
the interest of your
safety,

or my public's safety
to let you into these
parade grounds.

I'm Harvey Milk.
It's an honor to
meet you, Mr. Briggs.

Yeah, no, I'm aware.

You know, it's sad, Mr. Milk,
that you're afraid to fight
this out in public.

Oh, that's not true.

I'd very
much like to have
a public debate with you.

I'm very interested
in the details of
your argument.

Oh, well, you know,
you know the details.

I mean, just look at the
votes across this nation.
The public is with me.

They are today.

Which is why
with my city's mayor

and the San Francisco
press as my witnesses,

I'd like to challenge
you to a public debate.

Oh, I think
that's a yes.

You know, Mr. Milk,
we don't allow people
who practice bestiality

(CROWD EXCLAIMING)
to teach our children,
and... Excuse me,

and the reason we don't
is because it is illegal.

It is not illegal
to be a homosexual
in California.

And your law goes
even further.

Any school employee
who even supports a gay
person will be fired.

Well, that's true.
But gay people don't have
any children of their own.

And if they don't
recruit our children,
they'd all just die away.

(CROWD EXCLAIMS)

You know? And that's why
they're all so interested
in becoming teachers,

because they
want to encourage
our children to join them.

And how do you
teach homosexuality?

It's like French?

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

I was born of
heterosexual parents,

taught by
heterosexual teachers

in a fiercely
heterosexual society.

So why then
am I homosexual?

And no offense meant,

but if it were true that
children mimicked their
teachers,

we'd have a hell of a lot
more nuns running around.

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

(PEOPLE WHOOPING)

We were
really, genuinely
frightened by Proposition 6.

And with Anita and
Briggs gaining strength,
we were very pessimistic.

We didn't think that
there was any chance
that we could beat it.

But what we did hope for

is that we could
organize enough,

so that when we did lose,
all hell would break loose.

We're still losing 60-30.
We got to take this show
on the road.

Put out a press release.

Call Briggs' office,
tell him he can pick
the audience, the town.

I'll tell my supporters
to stay away.

Harvey, his audiences
are intensely devout.
You'll get killed.

Get me Orange County.

In your statements here
and all these newspapers
and tonight,

you say that child
molestation is not
an issue.

If it's not an issue,

why do you put out
literature that
hammers it home?

(CROWD JEERING)
Why do you play on
this myth and fear?

Same thing with VD, Harvey,
we put out publications...

This is campaign
literature.

Well, we put out
publications about
VD so you can avoid it.

(PEOPLE CHEERING)

You yourself had said that
there's more molestation
in the heterosexual group,

(CROWD BOOING)
so why not get rid of
the heterosexual teachers?

We are not
talking about homosex...
About child molestation.

Nearly... The fact is,
nearly 95 percent of the
people are heterosexual,

so, if we took
the heterosexuals out
and the homosexuals out,

you know what,
we'd have no teachers.

We'd have no teachers,
no more molestation.

So you're saying that
the percentage of
the population

is equal to
the percentage
of child molestation?

No, no, no,
I'm not saying that, no.

That's what
you just said.

No, no, no. I'm not saying
that at all. I am saying
that we can't prevent

child molestation,
so let's just cut
our odds down

by taking out the
homosexuals and keeping
in the heterosexual groups.

(APPLAUSE)

Sir, in your drive
for personal power,

how many careers are you
willing to see destroyed?

How many lives, in your lust
for power, will you destroy
and when will it stop?

(CROWD EXCLAIMING)

(RINGING)

Jack, what is it?

JACK: Nothing.
Just wondering
when you'll be home.

You just had them pull me
out of my big vote on the
dog shit ordinance for this?

What, do you do
this on purpose?

Fuck, Harvey,
it's poop, okay?

I just hope I'm more
important than poop.

Look, it's...
I just... I don't know
what time I'll be home.

6:00 or 6: 15.

Okay.
Okay?

I'm all right.
I'll see you then.

(SNIFFLES) Okay.
6: 15, then.

HARVEY: Dan, how's the baby?

DAN:
You didn't bring up
supervisor pay raises?

In fact, I heard that you
plan to publicly oppose them.

HARVEY: Well,
I heard that you planned
to vote against them, too.

Were you setting me up?

DAN: It's not
a good time for me,
politically speaking.

Dan, there's a vote on
the Police Desegregation
Settlement.

You give me that
and I'll consider
backing pay raises.

I don't trade votes.

Unlike you,
the way I was raised,

we believe in
right and wrong.
Moral and immoral.

Black skin and white
in the police department.

Dan, even Ronald Reagan
is opposed to Proposition 6.

You're looking more
and more out of touch.

Okay, if I come out against
Prop 6, it's only going
to be for the invasion

of state's rights issue,
that's it.

And the potential
witch hunt against
you straight people.

You can't humiliate
me, okay?

You will not demean me.

ANNE: Harvey, we're
doing the final vote.
We need to get you back.

Jack?

Jack?

Jack?

(CLATTERING)

Oh !

No, Jack. Jack, no!

No, no, no. Jack, no.

Jack!

No, no, no, no!
Oh, no!

(SOBBING)

Hope!

SCOTT: Harvey,

look at me.

Hey, look at me.

You did everything
that you could.

No, I didn't.

What more could
you have done?

I could have come back
at 6:00 instead of 6: 15.

(SOBBING)

SCOTT: Shh.

Jack was gone.
I didn't have
any time to mourn.

There was no choice.

I had to keep on. . .
Keep on fighting.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER:
Most California
political leaders,

from Governor Jerry Brown to
former Governor Ronald Reagan,

say there are already enough
laws on the books to protect
children.

If you allow one,
just one human being

to be allowed to have his
rights taken away from him,

as a human being
then, pal,

you don't have any right
when they come to
take away your rights!

You do what you want in
the privacy of your own home.

But don't tell me
I got to accept
it in mine.

(PHONES RINGING)

San Bernadino is coming in.
Not good.

Of course not.
How not good?

60% for Briggs.
Same in Fresno.

Oh, dear God,
Lotus Blossom.

Imperial is
69% for so far.

Put it on the board.

I love homosexuals,
if you can believe that.

I love them enough
to tell them the truth.

I think that if it were
passed, it would be just
what some people would need

to conduct a very
severe witch hunt.

Want to ask everybody to
vote against Proposition 6.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

The whole world is watching.
This is San Francisco we're
losing. You ready?

I can have 15,000
people here in an hour,

but there's
gonna be riots
if this thing passes.

There goddamn
well better be.

What are you telling me?

I can't
say this because
I'm a public official,

but if
this thing passes,
fight the hell back.

WOMAN ON TV:
It was fundamentalist
Christians who helped Briggs

gather most of the signatures
to put Proposition 6 on
today's ballot.

WOMAN:
The Christian community
had never been involved

in any political
controversial issue.

And they're
not only involved,
but they're committed.

They've not only been working
very hard, but they're going to
come out and vote today.

''Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.''

And I would like to know
how you, Senator Briggs,

believe that Proposition 6
will help children
learn how to accept people

who are different
from themselves.

Harvey,
Don Amador from LA.

Not a good time, Don.

No, sir, this is Paul.
Don just gave me the phone.

Paul who?

You spoke to me on the
phone a year or so ago.

I'm in a wheelchair.
I'm from Minnesota.

I thought you were
a goner, Paul.

When I saw that you
won the supervisor seat,

I got a friend to
put me on a bus to LA.

Who do you know
in Los Angeles?

Nobody.

That's the. . .

I just didn't
want to die anymore.

I met your friend Don
down here.

I turned
18 and I voted
today against Prop 6.

I don't think
I'd be alive right now
if it weren't for you.

No,
you did that all
by yourself, Paul.

Don wanted me to
congratulate you
on what he says

looks like a big
win for us tonight.
Congratulations, Mr. Milk.

Yeah, I know,
it's incredible.

All the precincts have
reported we've won 65%
in LA County.

It's huge, Harvey.

I got to go, Don.

We just took
LA County by 65%.
Put it up! Put it up!

(PHONES RINGING)

Okay, okay.

HARVEY: What, Jim?
Jim, what?
Okay, okay!

The polls were way off.
Briggs is going down
by 2 to 1.

The only place it's going
to pass in San Francisco
is Dan White's district.

The polls are way off.

Somebody, cover up
Lady Liberty!

The cameras are
on the way here.

(ALL CHEERING)

(MARCHING BAND PLAYING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

Tonight, it's become clear
to everyone out there

that they do know one of us,
and now that they do,

they can see that
we're not sick.

They can feel that
we are not wrong.

And they know
that there must be,
that there should be a place

for us in this great
country, in this world.

(ALL CHEERING)

A message of hope
has been sent to all
those young people,

to all of those who've been
afraid by this wave of hate,

to all of those who
have lost their homes,
lost their hometowns.

Tonight, we are clear that
there is a place for us!

My brothers and sisters,
we can come home again !

(ALL CHEERING)

Oh, good morning, Dan.

Morning, Harvey,
I just resigned.

Congratulations.
I'm sure you'll be the
next President of the Board.

MAN:
Hey, Dan.
Just got word.

Can we
talk to you
for a minute?

Yeah, sure.

MAN: The association
meeting room.

Well, now it starts all over
again, because this morning,

former Supervisor Dan White
says he wants to be called
supervisor one more time.

He gets dragged into this
closed door meeting at
Police Association.

Suddenly
he wants his job back.

I mean, who knows
what they might have
said to him in there.

Or what they may
have promised him.

Or worse yet,
if they had
threatened him.

A man has the right
to change his mind.
Give me some peace.

Dan White has been
the vote on the board
that has stood in our way.

The vote.
I get it, Harvey.

I've been lobbied all week.
Enough.

Let me remind
you of something,
you're up for re-election.

If you reappoint Dan White,
you will lose the gay vote.
They listen to me.

You will not be
elected dog catcher.

I'll make
my decision on Monday.

You know who you
sounded like just now?

I like that.

A homosexual with power.

That's scary.

(SINGING)

(PHONE RINGING)

(CLEARS THROAT)

MARY ANN: Hello.

Yes, hold on, please.

(SOFTLY) Thank you.

Yes, this is Dan White.

Hi, Mr. White, this is
Barbara Taylor from KCBS.

Mmm-hmm.

I'm interested
in your reaction.

I've received information
from the mayor's office

that you're not
getting your job back.

I'm sorry,
I don't know
anything about that.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello?

HARVEY: Did I wake you?

Harvey?
Are you all right?

I went to
the opera tonight.
Guess who I went with.

Who?

Bidu Sayao herself.

She was
my first Puccini.
The crowd went wild.

I felt like
I was young again,
being at my first opera.

Maybe you should
tell me the next time
you go to the opera.

Really?

Yeah. I'd go with you.

I'd like that.

Look outside,
the sun's coming up.

Okay, hang on.

Hey, wait a minute.

My aide
was supposed
to come down here

and let me
in the side door,
but she never showed up.

And you are?
I'm Dan White,
City Supervisor.

Harvey,

I want you to know
that I am proud of you.

(SNIFFLES)

I don't wanna miss this.

Miss what?

This.

Is he here? Can I see
the mayor for a moment?

Just a minute,
I'll see if he's available.

Sir, Dan White
is here to see you.

(SIGHS)

So, who
are they gonna
replace Dan with?

That goddamn lefty
liberal, Don Horanzy?

That'll really
shake up the board.

DIANNE: All I know
is that we're getting
a new supervisor today.

If Dan shows up,
just avoid him.

We don't need a scene
today, do we, Harvey?

God forbid, Dianne.

SECRETARY: Mr. White,
the mayor will see you now.

Thanks.
You're welcome.

GEORGE: Dan, come on in.

DAN:
It's not something that
I wanna calm down about.

You can't take
this away from me.

Dan, look,
you made a decision.

You know,
you made the decision.

The issue is what's fair
to the people of your
district, Dan.

Now, look,
take some time off.
Spend it with your family.

(MUFFLED GUNSHOTS)

(DOOR CLOSING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)

HARVEY: Tell President Carter
we're coming after him next,
this time next year.

Hi, Dianne.

HARVEY:
We're marching
to Washington D.C.

Hey, Harvey.

Hey, can I see you in
my office for a minute?

Sure. I'll be back.
Yeah.

(DOOR CLOSES)

No.

Well,
you know what I think?

I think you need
to find a new scene.

And some new friends.

I need a change.

You're 40 now.
Oh.

Forty years old
and I haven't done
a thing I'm proud of.

Keep eating all that cake,
you're gonna be a fat-ass
by the time you're 50.

No,
I'll never
make it to 50.

Where is everyone?

Doesn't anyone
give a damn?

Cleve's getting some people
together in the Castro.

Last week I got a phone call
from Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The voice was very young,
and the person said, ''Thanks.''

You've got to elect gay people
so that the young child

and the thousands upon
thousands just like him

will have hope
for a better life.

Hope for a better tomorrow.

I ask this,

that if there be
an assassination,

I would want five, ten,
a hundred, a thousand to rise.

If a bullet should enter
my brain, let it destroy
every closet door.

I ask for the movement
to continue because it's
not about personal gain,

and it's not about ego
and it's not about power.

It's about the
''us's'' out there.

Not just the gays but
the blacks and the Asians

and the seniors
and the disabled.

The ''us's.''

Without hope,
the ''us's'' give up.

And I know you can't
live on hope alone.

But without hope,
life is not worth living.

So you,

and you,

and you,

you got to give them hope.

You got to give them hope.