A joint candlelight vigil is being held tonight in the Castro for former Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk – appropriately at Harvey Milk Plaza.
Forty-five years ago, the two men were murdered in Moscone’s office in San Francisco’s City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White, who snuck into the building through a first-floor window with a handgun.
White, a former policeman, had resigned from the Board of Supervisors two weeks earlier, but soon reconsidered. Moscone had initially agreed to reinstate White, but later refused at the urging of Milk and others. White went into Moscone’s office and once again pleaded for reinstatement.
When Moscone once again refused, White took out his revolver and shot Moscone four times. He then walked into Milk’s office, shooting him five times, before fleeing City Hall. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, serving five of seven years. He committed suicide less than two years after he was paroled.
The assassinations – which were announced to the public by then Supervisor Dianne Feinstein – led to a public outpouring of grief, as well as increased political mobilization among several groups. This was the case especially among the LGTBQ community – where Milk, the city’s first openly gay supervisor – became a national symbol of gay civic empowerment.
