San Diego Author Explores The ‘Lives’ Of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk

>>> gay civil rights activist 21 -- Harvey Milk -- eight documentary made about his life and death won an Academy award and the most and picture Milk, Harvey Milk's work is now an ingrained part of American culture. What else do we need to know about Harvey Milk? A lot says my next guest. Today on what would have been his 80th birthday, communities across the nation are marking Harvey Milk day. The author is here to talk about her new book, "Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death" . Welcome to the program. The title of your book, you write that he was a complex person and there were many RVs over the years? Talk about the personal and professional experiences he went through before the Harvey Milk we know . >> Harvey was an opera lover, from the time he was 11 years old. He was a jock, in high school and college to counter what he thought would be perceived -- he was a high school teacher, he sold sewing machines, door to door for several months in Dallas, he was a hippie. He was a securities analyst for a stockbroker on Wall Street, he was a gopher for a famous Broadway director and he was a businessman. He moved to San Francisco with his partner Scott Smith and they opened a camera shop. He found himself in the last 5 years of his life, he knew what he wanted to do and that was to be a political person, to run to -- for political office and to represent the underrepresented, gay people and other minority groups as well. >> I have to add, in the 50s, he was stationed here in San Diego as a Navy diving instructor. >> He was here from 1953-55. >> Your book delves into his Jewish identity, how much of an influence did his Jewish identity have on his politics? >> Harvey was born in 19 30 by the time he was cognizant of the -- he talked about the defeat of the Warsaw ghetto. When he told people was that his parents said to him, of course it was useless to fight, of course the Jewish people in the war so ghetto would be defeated by the Nazis. That was very influential in his life, instances of how they were not aware enough, in time to fight back. The gay community could not let itself be in that position. I think he was very influenced by what he learned as a child and what happened to relatives who remained in Lithuania. His grandfather was an immigrant from Lithuania and he was very aware of anti-Semitism and used that through his whole life as a metaphor for persecution and how it was important to be strong and fight back against persecution. >> This year marks 40 years since Harvey Milk's assassination. What would you say his legacy is? Is it this groundswell of openly gay politicians who are changing things across America? Is it more personal? >> I think that was part of his legacy, I think he also understood, long before they gave movement understood, what had to be done. He said, for instance, everyone had to come out. It was the only way to defeat the crazy stereotype of homosexuals being people who hide in the shadows waiting to pounce on 12-year-old kids. You have to let the world know that gay people or LGBTQ people are sons and daughters and people that you love. He was one of the first people to give that message so strongly. He understood that the gay community had to make coalitions with other groups that had been underrepresented or underprivileged. He was very much in favor of the rights of senior citizens, he was very much in favor of fighting for the rights of gay youth. Often, gay kids, particularly in the 1970s were kicked out of their homes. Harvey said that gay community centers were important to give a home to young gay people. That was so forward thinking at a time when most gay people, activists, would not say that because they were afraid. >> I have been speaking with the op -- author of, "Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death" . Thank you so much for being here. >> Thank you so much.