On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed inside City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White. Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States and a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. The murders shocked the city and drew national attention to local political tensions and anti-gay sentiment. White’s later conviction on manslaughter rather than murder charges sparked protests and the so-called White Night Riots. The killings turned Milk into a symbol of the fight for civil rights and representation. Memorials, films, and public honors have kept his story central to American LGBTQ+ history.
