On May 22, 2014 in Washington DC, the United States Postal Service (USPS) honored the life of Harvey Milk, San Francisco politician and the United States first openly gay elected official, with a new Forever Stamp. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. His career was tragically cut short nearly a year after he took office, when he and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated.
The stamp art comes from a photo of Milk as he stood in front of his camera store and has the colors of the gay pride flag appearing in a vertical strip in the top left corner. Photographer Daniel Nicoletta took the photograph used in the stamp art, which was designed by art director Antonio Alcalá.
The Harvey Milk stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.
The USPS has this to say in its dedication:
“A commitment to serving a broad constituency, not just gay people, helped make Milk an effective and popular leader. He was an eloquent speaker with a winning sense of humor and was able to build coalitions between diverse groups. His achievements gave hope and confidence to gay people at a time when the community was encountering widespread hostility.
Milk believed that government should represent all citizens, insuring equality and providing needed services. In the years since his death, there have been hundreds of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender public officials in America. In 2009, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Milk the Medal of Freedom.” USPS Website
Watch the Harvey Milk Forever Stamp Dedication