In honor of Harvey Milk Day on May 22, this week's look at the Bay Area Reporter's archive is from the November 10, 1977 issue, which reports when Harvey Milk won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay person to win elective office in the city and in California. Milk, who wrote a political column for the paper, had tried two other times to win a seat, and was victorious on his third attempt. According to the article, Milk received 30% of the vote, well ahead of the 16 other candidates for what was then the District 5 seat in the Castro, Noe Valley and the Haight. (The LGBTQ-focused seat is now District 8 and includes Noe Valley, Diamond Heights and Glen Park.) Milk took office in January 1978, but only served 11 months before he and then-mayor George Moscone were assassinated by disgruntled ex-supervisor Dan White. To view the issue, click here.
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