On 27 November 1978, tragedy struck San Francisco as Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated inside City Hall. The gunman was Dan White, a former city supervisor who had recently resigned his position but was seeking reinstatement. This shocking act of violence profoundly impacted the city and marked a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
The Events Leading to the Tragedy
Dan White, a former police officer and firefighter, had resigned from his position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors due to financial struggles and frustration with city politics. However, after reconsidering, he sought to be reinstated. Mayor Moscone, with encouragement from Supervisor Milk and others, planned to appoint a more progressive replacement instead. On the morning of 27 November, White entered City Hall through a basement window to avoid security and gained access to the Mayor’s office, where he shot Moscone. Shortly after, he located Harvey Milk and fatally shot him as well.
The Legacy of Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk was a trailblazer as one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. His activism and leadership were transformative for the LGBTQ+ community, as he championed anti-discrimination ordinances and advocated for greater acceptance and equality. Milk’s assassination underscored the risks faced by those fighting for civil rights and catalysed a wave of activism that reverberated far beyond San Francisco.
Aftermath and Outrage
Dan White’s trial and subsequent conviction on voluntary manslaughter, rather than first-degree murder, sparked outrage. The controversial defence argued that White’s diminished capacity due to depression led him to commit the crimes, infamously referred to as the “Twinkie defence” due to claims his mental state was affected by poor diet. The leniency of the sentence—seven years and eight months—triggered the White Night Riots, a massive protest in San Francisco.
