Letter from Harvey Milk to President Carter Regarding the Briggs Initiative
6/28/1978
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Harvey Milk wrote this letter to President Jimmy Carter asking for his support in defeating 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.
One of Milk’s main goals during his tenure as supervisor was to defeat Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative—named after state legislator John Briggs, who sponsored the legislation.
Proposition 6 aimed to ban gay and lesbian individuals from working in California public schools and would have made their firing mandatory. Milk campaigned against Proposition 6 throughout California, attending every event Briggs hosted to protest the proposition.
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 referenced this speech in his letter to President Carter, saying "In it, I called upon you to take a leadership role in defending the rights of gay people. As the President of a nation which includes 15-20 million lesbians and gay men, your leadership is vital and necessary."
Milk went on to stress the impact Proposition 6 would have on individual rights, emphasizing that it was necessary to defeat such legislation to protect the human rights of all citizens.
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.
One of Milk’s main goals during his tenure as supervisor was to defeat Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative—named after state legislator John Briggs, who sponsored the legislation.
Proposition 6 aimed to ban gay and lesbian individuals from working in California public schools and would have made their firing mandatory. Milk campaigned against Proposition 6 throughout California, attending every event Briggs hosted to protest the proposition.
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 referenced this speech in his letter to President Carter, saying "In it, I called upon you to take a leadership role in defending the rights of gay people. As the President of a nation which includes 15-20 million lesbians and gay men, your leadership is vital and necessary."
Milk went on to stress the impact Proposition 6 would have on individual rights, emphasizing that it was necessary to defeat such legislation to protect the human rights of all citizens.
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: Letter from Harvey Milk to President Carter Regarding the Briggs Initiative; 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://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/harvey-milk-carter, April 24, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
