A lesson from Harvey

I want to recruit you for the fight to preserve your democracy! Brothers and Sisters, you must come out! come out to your parents, come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends, come out to your neighbors, come out to your fellow workers. Once and for all, let's break down the myth and destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake, for their sake. For the sake of all the youngsters who've been scared by the votes from Dade to Eugene. On the Statue of Liberty it says ' Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.' In the Declaration of Independence it is written, 'All me are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights.' For Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Bryant and all the bigots out there, no matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words from the Declaration of Independence! No matter how hard you try you can never chip those words from the base of the Statue of Liberty! That is where America is!

-Harvey Milk
(San Francisco City Supervisor)

Mr. Milk was right. In his movement against Prop. 6 he implored members of the gay community to come out of the closet and reveal their sexual orientation. He believed that if the public realized how connected they were with the gay community, then they would offer their support. He was correct, the initiative was defeated on November 7, 1978 and even lost in the sponsors (John Briggs) own Orange County, a stronghold of conservatism in the state.

The undocumented student community must also come out. We must tell our stories to our teachers, our friends and anyone who is willing to listen. Because as Mr. Milk believed once they know one of us they they will support us 2 to 1.