The project to place the memorial of former Supervisor Harvey Milk is a joint undertaking between the Harvey Milk City Hall Memorial Committee and the San Francisco Arts Commission. It is reportedly the first such public/private partnership of its kind.
The effort to honor the politician began in 2003 when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting the creation of such a memorial.
Milk advanced the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights by becoming one of the first openly gay elected officials in the country, winning a seat on the board of supervisors in 1977. Less than a year after taking office, he was assassinated by a political opponent.
The statue is being unveiled May 22, which would have been his 78th birthday.
