Films

The Times of Harvey Milk

Film. Directed by Rob Epstein. 1984. 90 minutes.
Documentary on the political career and assassination of Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s first openly gay supervisor.

Time Periods: 20th Century
Themes: Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, LGBTQ
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One of the first feature documentaries to address gay issues in America, this film follows the political career of Harvey Milk and portrays life inside San Francisco’s Castro District community of the seventies. Milk became an icon of gay political achievement and advocacy for civil and human rights through his journey from grassroots neighborhood activist to San Francisco’s first openly gay supervisor. The film uses original interviews, exclusive documentary footage, news reports, and archival footage to document the life, political visions, and 1978 assassination of Harvey Milk.

By Rob Epstein and Richard Schmeichen.

Trailer

Awards

  • Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, 1985
  • Special Jury Prize at the first Sundance Film Festival

This documentary is currently available to watch on HBO Max.

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Order online
Related Resources
Teaching Guides

Beyond Tolerance: A Resource Guide for Addressing LGTBQI Issues in Schools

Teaching Guide. Published by New York Collective of Radical Educators. 2010.
A curricular resource guide on Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) for educators.

Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality (Teaching Guide) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History
Teaching Guides

Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Teaching Guide. Edited by Annika Butler-Wall, Kim Cosier, Rachel Harper, Jeff Sapp, Jody Sokolower, and Melissa Bollow Tempel. Rethinking Schools. 2016. 476 pages.
A collection of essays on how to create a nurturing classroom at different grade levels, curriculum, teachers coming out, organizing beyond classroom walls, and integrating LGBTQ+ content into teacher education programs and ongoing teacher education.

This Day in History

June 28, 1969: Stonewall Riots

Police arrived at the Stonewall Inn and arrested anyone found to be cross-dressing, resulting in mayhem and what are now referred to as the Stonewall Riots. This was a milestone in a long history of LGBTQ+ activism.

This Day in History

June 24, 1973: UpStairs Lounge Massacre

The largest LGBTQ massacre in U.S. history (until the Orlando Massacre) occurred at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans.

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