Stuart Milk
Encyclopedia
Stuart Milk is an American
LGBT
human rights activist and political speaker. Stuart, nephew of the late civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk
, is the co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. Milk's activism and work has been both domestic and international, such as his support of LGBT movements in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
In addition to his role as Milk family spokesperson, Stuart has been working to shepherd and grow his late uncle's legacy at the international, national and state level. He has successfully advocated for recognition for his late uncle in the now annual state holiday, Harvey Milk Recognition Day, in California; the induction of his uncle into the California Hall of Fame; accepting the United States' highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on behalf of his uncle from President Obama; co-founding the international Harvey Milk Foundation
; and the development of several new LGBT centers named after Harvey in foreign nations.
"When I think about Harvey, I think about, even as a small child, the kind of the richness and color of life that he brought to me. Harvey was the person who introduced me to Broadway, and Broadway musicals", Stuart said in 2009 referring to his closeness with his uncle. Stuart Milk has been involved in public service since the late 80's including directing employment assistance centers and youth enrichment programs. He told the New York Times that he sees his work in public service, "with youths, the elderly, dislocated workers and former prison inmates, as part of his family’s legacy." In 1999, Stuart Milk made available to the public several never before seen photos of his uncle's early campaign for elected office and as well as personal family pictures.
In 1985, Stuart Milk gave his first large public address as an "out" LGBT activist alongside The Times of Harvey Milk producer Richard Smiechen at Oberlin College in Ohio. At the time Milk was working as a campaign director for National Citizen Action, a progressive political advocacy organization and was based in Western Pennsylvania.
(AFER), Equality California
, International Conference on Disadvantaged Youth, the Coalition for Workforce Solutions, and the International Committee for Minority Justice and Equality.
Stuart Milk has travelled to a broad range of foreign nations advocating for human rights inclusive of the LGBT community while working collaboratively with other diminished and marginalized populations. Stuart's speaking events in the last few years have included LGBT public speeches in the Islamic cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Cairo to public events in Central and Eastern Europe, Central American and South American cities, as well activities in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Milk has been a delegate on official sister city visitations or state visits to Sydney Australia, Panama City Panama, and to Cape Town South Africa and has twice given keynote addresses for International Congresses in the Netherlands. Stuart stated in 2010 that he has a 'goal to keep his uncle's legacy alive providing support for still relevant messages by those who Harvey knew and trusted beyond often limited snap shots of time". Efforts by Stuart Milk to have the first US Postage named for an LGBT person have made news, "The Harvey Milk US Postage Stamp Campaign" is said to "further on a broader scale the educational pieces of Harvey Milk's legacy created by the family" along with a number of collaborating national LGBT organizations including the ICS, EQCA, NLGTF, HRC, Victory Fund, Trevor and GLAAD
Stuart Milk was credited in working to get legislation signed creating an annual California State Day of Recognition named after his late uncle in 2009, earning him Equality California's Champion Award that year. In 2010 he worked with then California First Lady Maria Shriver in designing the first public museum exhibit on Harvey Milk in Sacramento and he accepted his Uncle's medal and induction into the California Hall of Fame from the Governor.
Following a meeting with Milk during his 2011 'Human Rights Tour" for Equality Italia, Italy's Minister of Equal Opportunities, Mara Carafagna stated "Milk is a leader who is able to change my mind". After the meeting, she publicly reversed her opposition to a proposed anti-homophobia law saying "I now see it is important for my government to protect against homophobia and create gay friendly workplaces".
Milk helped develop a 2011 professional International Conference for youth educators working along with the Center For Excellence in School Counseling at San Diego State University
. Senior Federal Government officials, including the US Department Education (Assistant Secretary), were brought together with local stakeholders from across the globe - San Diego Mayor Sanders, school superintendents, faculty, counselors, and parent/student advocates - to define and dissect time proven best practices to support LGBT youth while in school creating "a climate of change that should save young lives" per the coverage of this San Diego event. Milk is also involved with a Global LGBT Transitions and Interchange Congress being presented in early 2012 with the support of EU officials and the European private sector.
Harvey Milk Day
(HMD) activities continue to be facilitated annually by Harvey Milk Foundation with the launch in 2011 of the Harvey Milk Day portal and website and a team of volunteers to "establish, encourage, and lead HMD day events, activities and proclamations in more then one thousand jurisdictions across the globe." With that accomplished in May 2011, further planning for 2012 has begun by Milk and other Milk Foundation leaders. Fox News reported in 2010: "Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk's 49-year-old nephew and one of the guardians of his legacy, thinks his uncle would be thrilled by the various tributes, but he also wants his day to be more about uniting all marginalized minorities."
in the Spring 2010 Sacramento California production.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
human rights activist and political speaker. Stuart, nephew of the late civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk
Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors...
, is the co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. Milk's activism and work has been both domestic and international, such as his support of LGBT movements in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Biography
Stuart Milk has worked in public service since the late 1980's in both the public and private sector, primarily on workforce issues pertaining to youth and disadvantaged populations in the US and abroad. In addition to his human service work, he has been a public speaker on LGBT rights at colleges, universities and public events including for Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, University of San Francisco, SUNY, Central European University, University of Oxford, University of San Diego, as lead speaker or grand marshal for numerous LGBT Pride parades including San Francisco and Orlando in 2008, Istanbul and Madrid in 2009, Boston and San Diego in 2010, Pittsburgh and Budapest in 2011. He has provided keynote addresses at political conventions, including both the California Democratic Convention and Florida statewide conventions in 2009 and 2010.In addition to his role as Milk family spokesperson, Stuart has been working to shepherd and grow his late uncle's legacy at the international, national and state level. He has successfully advocated for recognition for his late uncle in the now annual state holiday, Harvey Milk Recognition Day, in California; the induction of his uncle into the California Hall of Fame; accepting the United States' highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on behalf of his uncle from President Obama; co-founding the international Harvey Milk Foundation
Harvey Milk Foundation
The Harvey Milk Foundation was founded in 2009 by Harvey Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, and Harvey’s campaign manger and political aide, Anne Kronenberg, based on discussions held with the family and close Harvey allies....
; and the development of several new LGBT centers named after Harvey in foreign nations.
Early Life and Impact of His Uncle, Harvey Milk
As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the 1978 assassination of his uncle destroyed the "closet door" for Stuart Milk. Milk, who has participated and represented Harvey Milk's small immediate family in memorial and remembrance events for over three decades, stated at the 20th year memorial for Harvey, that he decided to be vocally out, right after his uncle's murder, as a living and active memorial. "Earlier that year, Harvey and I had a three-hour talk at a family gathering, he talked to me about being your authentic self. I was just a teenager, but it stayed with me," said Stuart Milk."When I think about Harvey, I think about, even as a small child, the kind of the richness and color of life that he brought to me. Harvey was the person who introduced me to Broadway, and Broadway musicals", Stuart said in 2009 referring to his closeness with his uncle. Stuart Milk has been involved in public service since the late 80's including directing employment assistance centers and youth enrichment programs. He told the New York Times that he sees his work in public service, "with youths, the elderly, dislocated workers and former prison inmates, as part of his family’s legacy." In 1999, Stuart Milk made available to the public several never before seen photos of his uncle's early campaign for elected office and as well as personal family pictures.
In 1985, Stuart Milk gave his first large public address as an "out" LGBT activist alongside The Times of Harvey Milk producer Richard Smiechen at Oberlin College in Ohio. At the time Milk was working as a campaign director for National Citizen Action, a progressive political advocacy organization and was based in Western Pennsylvania.
Current Work and Activism
In addition to being the President of the Harvey Milk Foundation's Board of Directors, Stuart also sits as a director on boards and advisory boards of numerous human rights, LGBT rights and Youth advocacy organizations including the American Foundation for Equal RightsAmerican Foundation for Equal Rights
The American Foundation for Equal Rights is a nonprofit organization created to support the plaintiffs in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal lawsuit to overturn Proposition 8 in California. AFER retained former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson and David Boies The American Foundation for Equal...
(AFER), Equality California
Equality California
Equality California or EQCA is a non-profit civil rights organization that advocates for the rights of LGBT people in California.-Early history:...
, International Conference on Disadvantaged Youth, the Coalition for Workforce Solutions, and the International Committee for Minority Justice and Equality.
Stuart Milk has travelled to a broad range of foreign nations advocating for human rights inclusive of the LGBT community while working collaboratively with other diminished and marginalized populations. Stuart's speaking events in the last few years have included LGBT public speeches in the Islamic cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Cairo to public events in Central and Eastern Europe, Central American and South American cities, as well activities in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Milk has been a delegate on official sister city visitations or state visits to Sydney Australia, Panama City Panama, and to Cape Town South Africa and has twice given keynote addresses for International Congresses in the Netherlands. Stuart stated in 2010 that he has a 'goal to keep his uncle's legacy alive providing support for still relevant messages by those who Harvey knew and trusted beyond often limited snap shots of time". Efforts by Stuart Milk to have the first US Postage named for an LGBT person have made news, "The Harvey Milk US Postage Stamp Campaign" is said to "further on a broader scale the educational pieces of Harvey Milk's legacy created by the family" along with a number of collaborating national LGBT organizations including the ICS, EQCA, NLGTF, HRC, Victory Fund, Trevor and GLAAD
Stuart Milk was credited in working to get legislation signed creating an annual California State Day of Recognition named after his late uncle in 2009, earning him Equality California's Champion Award that year. In 2010 he worked with then California First Lady Maria Shriver in designing the first public museum exhibit on Harvey Milk in Sacramento and he accepted his Uncle's medal and induction into the California Hall of Fame from the Governor.
Following a meeting with Milk during his 2011 'Human Rights Tour" for Equality Italia, Italy's Minister of Equal Opportunities, Mara Carafagna stated "Milk is a leader who is able to change my mind". After the meeting, she publicly reversed her opposition to a proposed anti-homophobia law saying "I now see it is important for my government to protect against homophobia and create gay friendly workplaces".
Milk helped develop a 2011 professional International Conference for youth educators working along with the Center For Excellence in School Counseling at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. Senior Federal Government officials, including the US Department Education (Assistant Secretary), were brought together with local stakeholders from across the globe - San Diego Mayor Sanders, school superintendents, faculty, counselors, and parent/student advocates - to define and dissect time proven best practices to support LGBT youth while in school creating "a climate of change that should save young lives" per the coverage of this San Diego event. Milk is also involved with a Global LGBT Transitions and Interchange Congress being presented in early 2012 with the support of EU officials and the European private sector.
Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Milk Day is organized by the Harvey Milk Foundation and celebrated globally each year held May 22 in memory of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist assassinated in 1978.-California Day of Special Significance:...
(HMD) activities continue to be facilitated annually by Harvey Milk Foundation with the launch in 2011 of the Harvey Milk Day portal and website and a team of volunteers to "establish, encourage, and lead HMD day events, activities and proclamations in more then one thousand jurisdictions across the globe." With that accomplished in May 2011, further planning for 2012 has begun by Milk and other Milk Foundation leaders. Fox News reported in 2010: "Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk's 49-year-old nephew and one of the guardians of his legacy, thinks his uncle would be thrilled by the various tributes, but he also wants his day to be more about uniting all marginalized minorities."
Portrayals
Portrayals of Stuart Milk have included his characterization in the play, Dear Harvey, by Patricia Loughery that was partly based on Loughery's interviews and discussions with Stuart. The play has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, at New York City's Fringe Festival and at colleges and universities across the United States. Dear Harvey has been translated into Spanish for production in Mexico and Spain while Stuart Milk's character was performed by actor Chad AllenChad Allen
Chad Allen may refer to:*Chad Allen , actor known for his role on Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman*Chad Allen , baseball outfielder formerly with the Minnesota Twins...
in the Spring 2010 Sacramento California production.