Milk Page #2

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 f***ing cops, man.

Cops are pulling

people out of Toad Hall.

Why?

What did they do?

They're sweeping the streets.

It's happening right now.

Come on.

- Come on.

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.

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.

Fruit was walking home

with his trick when he got jumped.

Name's Robert Hillsborough.

Did you know him?

He used to come into my shop.

Are there any witnesses?

Yeah, just

the trick, Jerry Taylor.

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

Hey,

call it what you will.

All we know is he's our only witness and

he said he can't identify the attackers.

Oh, you'd have a dozen witnesses

if they thought you boys had any

real interest

in protecting them.

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!

My fellow degenerates,

I would like to announce my candidacy

for San Francisco City Supervisor!

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.

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.

F*** that.

Elections of any kind

are f***ing

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.

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?

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.

They're nice pictures.

Is he your boyfriend?

- Sort of.

Harvey, David Goodstein is a

publisher from The Advocate.

Harvey.

- He's got a house...

Harvey, I think

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.

The top gays in

San Francisco were David Goodstein

and his civil rights

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