Harvey Milk's Letter to Midge Costanza
6/28/1978
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Harvey Milk wrote this letter to President Jimmy Carter's Assistant Margaret "Midge" Costanza asking for the President's support in defeating California's ballot Proposition 6, which would have banned gay and lesbian individuals from working in the California public school systems.
Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He used his platform as supervisor to promote LGBTQ rights, and other public initiatives such as free public transportation, increased access to affordable child care, and a police oversight committee.
Milk also spoke out against Proposition 6 in a speech he delivered at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978, which saw a record number of attendees. The speech, subsequently referred to as the "Hope Speech," became instantly famous and was reported on throughout the United States.
In the speech, Milk called for his "gay sisters and brothers to make the commitment to fight" against Proposition 6 and other similarly discriminatory legislation in an effort to promote gay rights in California and across the United States.
Milk sent a copy of the speech and a letter to President Carter on June 28 and also sent one to his assistant, Margaret “Midge” Costanza. Costanza’s aide, Marc Rosen, forwarded it to her with the note, “Midge: This is a note worth reading.” Costanza wrote back to Milk and said the speech was “one of the best defenses for human rights that I have read or heard in a good while.”
President Carter publicly opposed the bill, citing its potential infringement on individual rights. On November 7, 1978, the proposition was defeated by more than 1 million votes.
Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He used his platform as supervisor to promote LGBTQ rights, and other public initiatives such as free public transportation, increased access to affordable child care, and a police oversight committee.
Milk also spoke out against Proposition 6 in a speech he delivered at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1978, which saw a record number of attendees. The speech, subsequently referred to as the "Hope Speech," became instantly famous and was reported on throughout the United States.
In the speech, Milk called for his "gay sisters and brothers to make the commitment to fight" against Proposition 6 and other similarly discriminatory legislation in an effort to promote gay rights in California and across the United States.
Milk sent a copy of the speech and a letter to President Carter on June 28 and also sent one to his assistant, Margaret “Midge” Costanza. Costanza’s aide, Marc Rosen, forwarded it to her with the note, “Midge: This is a note worth reading.” Costanza wrote back to Milk and said the speech was “one of the best defenses for human rights that I have read or heard in a good while.”
President Carter publicly opposed the bill, citing its potential infringement on individual rights. On November 7, 1978, the proposition was defeated by more than 1 million votes.
This primary source comes from the Collection JC-1133: Records of the Office of the Assistant for Public Liaison.
National Archives Identifier: 152903
Full Citation: Harvey Milk's Letter to Midge Costanza, President Carter's Assistant; 6/28/1978; (Gay Rights--Harvey Milk Speech & Letter) 6/78-7/78 (O/A 5771); Margaret Costanza's Subject Files, 1977 - 1978; Collection JC-1133: Records of the Office of the Assistant for Public Liaison; Jimmy Carter Library, Atlanta, GA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/harvey-milks-letter-to-midge-costanza, December 13, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
