THE TIMES of Harvey documentary: unusual in its power at the same time to move one to anger and to tears, to pride and to despair. It is a magnificent film and should have lesbians and gay activists, and all socialists scrambling for tickets.
Harvey Milk made history when he became the first open gay to be elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.
When he was assassinated eleven months later (November 1978), tens of thousands of people - les; bians, gay men, black people, chinese, latinos, senior citizens, rank and file trade unionists - marched in a deeply moving candlelight procession demonstrate their collecave griet outside the City Hall When the murderer of Milk and Mayor Moscone ty a given derisory sentence by an all-white, all-straight jury, those thousands came onto the streets once more outside The nai o vent sen fury at the injustice of the the 111Harvey milk had fearlessly which fought, a struggle of which he had become both an unquestioned leader, and potent symbol.
The film eloquently illustrates the circumstances which Milk Decair a heroic focus for the strugand gay men, but also of Milk is an unusual all the downtrodden and oppressed in the untrammeleo cocain didn my Carter's America It was a time of the beginnings of what was to become the 'Moral Majority' and its spearhead was the national campaign led by people such as Anita Bryant to reverse the gains in civil rights made by the lesbian gay ment.
In a number of cities and states, lesbian and gay rights legislation was overturned. California, senator Briggs' Proposibians and gay men - and those who defended them — being teachers.
A massive grass roots campaign, led by Harvey Milk involving coalition which drew forces across the spectrum of the oppressconfronted the Briggs initiative head on and suceeded in furning back th vensive position 6 by 59 per cent to The victory was possible because Milk had campaigned for the right of all the oppressed. had fought openly and without trom his first day in City Hall to his last;
had alongside them, participating in and encouraging their campaigns, not as Leadera distant self-appointed Black people, senior citizens. women interview. ed on the film give per onal weight to the over whelming evidence of this support presented in the expected to be the major literary trial of the 1980s opened at North London Magistrates Court.
It involves the nine directors of the London customs officials as part of 'Operation Tiger' where detained at the ports. Over the next seven months formal seizure notices were issued on a total of 142 titles.
it was for heterosexuals. It is only possible for this to that imported books are subject to the 1876 completely legally in this country. Once again a little known, and largely disused law "blasphemy' case in 1976 — is being wheeled out to Andrew Hodges on 01-286 2084.
footage of the marches and the funerals.
But Harvey Milk's most important achievement was for the rights of lesbians and gay men (and we should note that the gives unusual pro• minence to the position and role of lesbians).
Milk was a product of the San Francisco gay movement; but he gave it aiso a political focus and a strength coherence which enabled it to register genuine gains. Most imON MONDAY 24 June the committal hearing of what is bookshop Gay's The Word who face a staggering array of criminal charges under a century-old customs law of "conspiracy to import indecent or obscene literature'.
This follows the raid that took place in April 1984 by thousands of books on the way to the bookshop from the United States were denied customs clearance and This literature would merit no particular comment if happen because of an anomaly in the law which means Many of the seized titles are or have been publisher - as in the Gay News attack what lesbians and gays can read. (If you want to know about Gay's The Word Defence Campaign contact portant, he challenged something against which one canpot legislate for.
His achievement was to give the courage and support to lesbians and gays to come out the closet, not ¡ust in san Francisco. across the USA. But it also began to change the con sciousness of other groups of people. An old trade unionist says at the end of the film, most people once thought it was natural and right if fruits and faggots got beaten up by the cops; it was because of Harvey Milk's campaign that he many others had changed their opinion A socialist will see once that Harvey Milk whose politics were radical not revolntionary did not have all the right This weaknesses pale into insignificance beside the achievements of his brief The lesbian Cal Cal gay have countless martyrs. Most anonymous. Harvey GAYS THE WORDST Milk was very definitely See this film at any cost. You will come out with a new sense of pride potential power, above all of purpose never again pushes back into the closets.
(The Times of Harvey Milk won an oscar as best documentary in 1984. It i currently showing the Academy, Oxford St.)
AS REPORTED in last weeks Socialist Liverpool city council has agreed a deficit budget which involves a nine per cent rate increase. A proposal by the council's leadership to increase rates by 20 per cent was eventually withdrawn after strong representation by local trade unionists.
Opposition had also some of the COLLIC delegates to the Distric Labour Party who argued pother Lambeth and path Lambeth refuse to make a rate at all until the government returned money taken in grant penalties. budget conforms with the position taken by the joint shop stewards committee which was one of no cuts.
rent rises no The budget brings the council into direct conflict "Ith the aw it meng !Socialist Action 03 July 1985 Action, planned expenditure.
There already the threat of action by the district auditor who started moves to recover original delay in any rate. If successful, that lead to surcharge disqualification anyway.
Liverpool leader John Hamilton, in pledging support to council workers taking action, demanded that • between £30 million and £50million should be passed over to us to provide work and give us the services needed'. Derek day week's vote, but Cried that 'the government's polic jobs destroying vices of the people of Liverpool has lett us choice'.
Last Friday. week the Liverpool council joint shop stewards committee, at a meeting attended by over to take immediate action if any moves made against individual councillors. It also planned a series workplace meetings throughout the denartments pledged itself to total non compliance cooperation with the district auditor. this Is especially important since a number nave been threatened with, and in some cases had imposed cluded a mass rally last Wednesday addressed by Lambeth leader Ted Knight and Alex Wood. leader of the newly-elected Labour council in Edinburgh. The aim now is to spread the campaign national level both through support allists the trade unions and the Labour Party.
As echoed in the views of a number of Lambeth councillors following their refusal to set a rate, there will now need to be gicaler co-ordination at a national level This means a CULLI mon front between Liverpool, Lambeth and newly elected Edinburgh councils. A good example of the type of action that is needed came last Thursday week from manual unions in Lambeth who occupied threatened.
Initiatives of this type particularly on a national scale. are the best way tor local authority workers to defend services and jobs as well as local against the Tory attacks.
Pete Cresswell, Liverpool NALGO, said of the decision by Liverpool lo agree a delicil budget that it was correct setting a rate would have been confusing in the present climate. The nine pe МІСА ІН 10 borders of legality and is in line with the aim to get through this financial year with a huge deficit.
'We have been preparing for this confrontation for two vears now and it k coming to the crunch. We fully anticipate the need to will speed up the proces a confrontation with the government. them we will be dealing with The court may well be delayed as result decide what action to take.
"If the action drags on through Sultane could go to Labour Party conterence have to take it to the conthere is full support from the Labour Party lor our fight.
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