Gerber/Hart Library will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of Harvey Milk on Sunday, Nov. 23. ‘Remembering Harvey Milk’ will begin at 4 p.m. with a reception, followed by a program and screening of The Times of Harvey Milk.
The event will feature an exhibit of photographs and memorabilia from a visit Milk made to Chicago in 1978 to campaign for Gary Nepon, the first openly gay candidate for state office in Illinois.
Openly LGBT elected officials from the Chicago area have been invited to speak. Gerber/Hart board member John D’Emilio, Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at UIC, will reflect upon Milk’s legacy. A representative from Congregation Or Chadash will read a selection from Leslea Newman’s 1988 work, A Letter to Harvey Milk. In addition, there will be a dramatic rendering of one of Milk’s most famous speeches.
Individuals who worked on the Nepon campaign who remember Milk’s visit are especially invited to attend.
On Nov. 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were gunned down by a disgruntled fellow supervisor, Dan White. Milk at the time was one of only a handful of openly LGBT elected officials in the country.
The exhibit of Milk photographs and artifacts will be available for viewing at Gerber/Hart until Dec. 7, 1127 W. Granville, (773) 381-8030.