HARVEY MILK'S SUIT

Phot0/castrovalues.com

While waiting tonight for my friend Adam K to join me for an early dinner at Brandy Ho's, a stylish Chinese restaurant on 18th Street in the Castro, I went to the GLBT Historical Society on Castro Street, the former location of a franchise camera shop. That it had been a camera shop reminded me of Harvey Milk, since his own shop had been just up the street.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. I remember when they returned from their first tour of the Midwest... I think sometime in 1980. When they got off their bus at 18th and Castro, they all acted like Pope John Paul II returning to Poland. One at a time, they got on their knees and kissed the pavement in the middle of the intersection! 

The displays inside the Historical Society are rather sparce; but there were some interesting items, mainly old photographs, pamphlets, posters, book covers, etc. There was even a marriage certificate from 2004 that looked just like Dennis' and mine. 

The most powerful display or relic was Harvey Milk's suit, shirt and shoes worn the day of his assassination, November 27, 1978. (Please refer to my posting 11/27/08 "Thirty Years Ago.") The scruffy brown shoes with broken shoe laces show that Harvey had priorities other than fashion. But the coat was the main point of interest. It had at least four bullet holes. And the white shirt looked brown at first glance from all the dried blood. I crossed myself and waited in silence for a few minutes.