Got "Milk"?

No? Get some.

You'll find that no shelf life will ever threaten the movie's main ingredient: equality. Time, as they say, heals all wounds. Or does it?

Sean Penn does the gay struggle unparalleled justice as San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk, who was shot down at the height of his activism for equal rights. At 40 years old, Milk set out to de-sour a city (and country) of its hatred for homosexuals. At 47, he would become the nation's first elected openly-gay politician. He would invoke the "hope" message while Barack Obama was still a teenager. And Milk would be dead within the year.

He wasn't killed because he was gay. No, Harvey Milk was envied. A fellow city supervisor longed for Milk's confidence and poise, his charisma and drive. That other man -- Dan White -- fatally shot Milk and the San Francisco mayor. White would later commit suicide following a brief prison term.

More than 30 years later, our country remains embroiled in a civil rights struggle that -- for many -- is too close for comfort: the gay marriage debate.

While Milk never touches the issue of marriage, the film begs each one of us to consider the way we treat others. Harvey Milk mounted a soapbox and needed no violent demonstration to make himself heard. He had hordes of people behind him in the end. Yet even more people opposed the thought of two men or two women romantically linked.

Homosexuality is not a choice, preference, lifestyle or a sin. It is not contagious. And after all these years, it is still not entirely accepted.


In the last election, Americans voted down gay marriage in all 30 states that put the measure on the ballot. Here in Florida, Amendment 2 passed without a hitch. And in California Prop. 8 sets back decades of Milk's activism there. White voters in California don't support same-sex marriage, and neither do black voters. Eerily, African-Americans overwhelming oppose this constant civil rights struggle.


How is it in the Netherlands and in Belgium gays are allowed to marry and -- here's the best part -- actually call it "marriage"? In Spain marriage has "the same requirements and results when the two people entering into the contract are of the same sex or of different sexes." Back home in the States, though, we're determined to keep "marriage" between one man and one woman. Civil unions, fine, but please... don't mention gay marriage.

Disgusting, isn't it? For the U.S. government to even hint at involvement in sex and marriage would be astounding enough, but when lawmakers exhaust taxpayer time and capital fighting a gay couple's unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then, well... we the people come out the loser every time.

I'd never seen more tap dancing around the issue than when now-Veep Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin debated same-sex rights a month before the election. Palin at least clearly expressed her opposition to "redefining" marriage, while the moderator had to beat it out of ol' Joe: "Barack Obama nor I support redefining, from a civil side, what constitutes marriage." Hmm. Glad the parties could finally agree on something.

Look, if you support a gay couple's right to hospital visitations, home ownership, insurance... why not just let them get married? Adopt children? Start a family?

This was, in essence, Harvey Milk's wish. He wanted to "recruit" so many so that they could learn to embrace everyone. He didn't rebel, he led. Harvey Milk was the original glass-half-full guy. And we sure could use some more.


-P.F.