Harvey Milk's radical vision of equality - Lillian Faderman

翻译人员: Yanwen Lu 校对人员: Yuelong Dai

By 1973,

到1973年时，

Harvey Milk had already been many things:

哈维·米尔克已经担任过很多职务：

naval officer, high school teacher,

海军军官、高中老师、

bit-part actor, and wandering hippie.

龙套演员以及流浪嬉皮士。

But as he embarked on yet another life running a camera shop in San Francisco,

但是当他在旧金山开相机店， 开始新生活的时候，

he already found himself distracted.

他已经无法专心营业。

From the Watergate hearings on national news,

从全国新闻上的水门事件听证会，

to the teacher who had to rent a projector when her school couldn’t afford one,

到教师因为学校资金缺乏而租借投影仪，

Harvey saw a desperate need for political reform.

哈维感到政治改革亟待实现。

Milk strongly believed that tight knit neighborhoods

若把城市比作布料， 他相信像针织一样紧密的邻里关系

were essential to the fabric of the city,

是一个城市的关键，

and that government should solve those community’s most practical problems.

政府应该解决社区最切实重要的问题。

From fixing potholes and putting up stop signs,

从填补路面坑洼和放置停止慢行标志，

to promoting a friendly culture of cooperation,

到促进友好协作的文化，

Milk envisioned a more personal approach to local government.

哈维对地方政府有自己个人的理解。

This philosophy led him to run for the city’s Board of Supervisors

这样的哲学政治思想使他代表自己的选区

as the representative for his own district,

参选了旧金山监督委员会委员。

which included the heart of American gay culture,

该选区包括了美国同性恋文化的中心

the Castro.

——卡斯特罗街。

At this time, police brutality, discrimination and media stereotyping

当时，警察暴行，歧视和媒体的刻板印象

plagued the LGBT community,

困扰着LGBT群体，（LGBT指女同性恋、 男同性恋、双性恋和变性人群体）

labeling Harvey and his supporters as political outsiders.

并且将哈维和他的支持者们当作政治上的局外人。

But Milk refused to downplay his sexuality.

但是哈维拒绝对自己的性倾向轻描淡写，

He was sure that gay rights could never be won from the closet,

他确信若同志们仍在柜子里， 同志们将永远不会赢得合法权利。

and he saw the Castro

他意识到卡斯特罗街成为了

as one of many minorities without representation in city politics.

在城市政治里没有代表的少数群体中的一员。

Milk was determined to bring these basic government services

哈维决意将这些基本政治服务

to all of San Francisco’s disenfranchised groups,

交还给所有旧金山被剥夺选举权的群体，

regardless of race, age, or sexuality.

无论种族，年龄或性性取向。

But despite his flair for public speaking

尽管他善于演讲，

and open-hearted approach,

坦诚相待，

voters couldn’t see Milk’s radical vision.

但是选民们感受不到哈维急于变革的愿景。

In 1973, he lost his first bid for the Board of Supervisors.

在1973年，他首次竞选 旧金山监督委员会委员失败。

In 1975, he lost again.

在1975年，他再次竞选失败。

A year later, he ran for the California Assembly– and lost.

一年后，他竞选加州众议员失败。

Yet he tirelessly continued to support his district,

但是他不知疲倦地支持自己的选区，

befriending bartenders, construction unions, and local Chinese grocers.

把酒保，建筑工人工会和 当地的华裔食品杂货商当作朋友。

This earned him the affectionate title, the "mayor of Castro Street.”

这使得他得到了一个 满怀深情的称号“卡斯特罗街的市长”。

And when he ran his third campaign for the Board of Supervisors in 1977,

在1977年，当他第三次 竞选旧金山监督委员会委员时，

Harvey finally won the seat–

他最终获选，

becoming one of the first openly gay public officials in US history.

成为了美国历史上第一位 公开同性恋身份的政治人物。

Elated, Milk arrived in office determined to make lasting change.

哈维高兴地下决心要对旧金山做出持久的改变。

He immediately introduced a bill outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexuality

他立即提出一项法案， 禁止基于性取向的歧视。

and launched a major clean-up of the city.

他还发起了城市大清扫活动。

But not everyone was happy with this direction.

但并不是所有人都喜欢他的议案。

Anti-gay sentiment was gaining national momentum,

全国的反同情绪不断高涨，

especially in the form of California’s Proposition 6.

尤其是1978年加州第6号提案。

The proposition, which sought to make it illegal

该提案企图让在加州的学校中，

for homosexuals to work in Californian schools,

同志作为老师上课非法化，

would prove to be the biggest battle of Milk’s career.

这是哈维政治生涯中最大的一战。

Supporters of Prop 6 attacked the LGBT community,

该议案的支持者攻击LGBT群体，

calling them unfit to work with students.

叫嚣着同志不适合当教师。

But Milk urged them not to hide in fear:

但是哈维鼓励同志们不要因为害怕而躲避，

“Come out to your relatives.

“向你的亲戚出柜，

Come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends.

向你的朋友出柜若他们是你真正的朋友，

Come out to your neighbors, to your fellow workers…

向你的邻居出柜， 向你的同事出柜...

break down the myths.

打击谣言，

Destroy the lies and distortions.

摧毁谎言和曲解，

For your sake. For their sake.”

为你着想，为关心你的人着想。”

Alongside other activists,

他同其他社会活动家

he ran an incandescent campaign against hate.

开始了对抗仇恨的活力四射的竞选。

On November 7, 1978,

在1978年11月7日，

Prop 6 was defeated in a landslide.

1978年加州第6号提案被压倒性地驳回。

It was proof that Milk’s message was gaining traction.

这是哈维的理念得到响应的证明。

But just twenty days after this inspiring victory,

但是在他激动人心胜利的20天后，

he was assassinated at City Hall–

他在市政厅被刺杀身亡，

killed alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

同他一起遇难的还有 旧金山市长乔治·莫斯科尼。

Both men had been murdered by Dan White,

他们两人均被丹·怀特杀害。

a former fellow supervisor,

丹·怀特是前旧金山监督委员会委员。

who had positioned himself against those he called "radicals, social deviates

他反对那些他认为 “激进的，偏离社会价值的，无可救药的”人。

and incorrigibles.”

He had frequently clashed with Harvey at Board meetings,

他曾与哈维在委员会会议上有频繁的争执，

and resented the spirit of change which Milk personified for many.

憎恨尤其体现在哈维身上的变革的精神。

The night of Milk's murder,

在哈维遇害的当晚，

thousands marched by candlelight through the city.

成千的人们提着烛火游行， 环绕着整个城市。

In the wake of this tragedy,

在这场悲剧之后，

yet another injustice arose.

另一个不公平出现了，

In a highly controversial verdict,

在这个颇有争议的判决中，

White received a sentence of only seven years and eight months–

怀特只受到了7年8个月的刑罚。

a decision that sparked uproar throughout the city

这个判决激起了整个城市的骚乱，

in what became known as the White Night Riots.

这就是有名的1979年旧金山骚乱。

But even after his death,

但是在哈维死后，

Milk continued to preach his hopeful cause.

他的思想仍熠熠生辉。

He left his friends and followers a total of three different tapes

他给他的朋友和追随者 留下了三个不同的磁带，

to be played in the event of his assassination.

在他的刺杀纪念会上播放。

They leave us with a call to action,

他呼吁我们行动起来，

and a reminder that everyone is welcome in the fight against injustice:

提醒我们每个人都应该抗争不公。

"I ask for the movement to continue…

“我请求这个运动继续进行...

and if a bullet should enter my brain,

如果一颗子弹应该进入我的大脑，

let that bullet destroy every closet door…”

那么就让这颗子弹摧毁每一扇锁着同志的柜门。”