Harvey Milk, George Moscone remembered at SF Castro vigil amid surge in anti-LGBTQ laws

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Dozens came out to San Francisco's Castro neighborhood Monday night - all in remembrance of two men.

November 27 marked 45 years since then Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated inside City Hall.

An event that forever changed San Francisco and the world.

"We are very familiar with politicians and candidates and they make significant eye contact and they tell you they understand your struggles, and most of them don't have a clue. Harvey really did," said LGBTQ activist Cleve Jones, who was one of the speakers at the memorial.

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Jones was a friend of Milk, who was the first openly gay person to hold elected office in California history and says it's difficult to overstate the impact Milk had on advancing LGBTQ rights.

"It was still illegal for consenting adults to engage in intimate sexual behavior. It was a felony," Jones said. "And even here in liberal San Francisco, thousands of gay men were entrapped by SFPD."

As much as this vigil was about remembering the past legacy of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, it was also about the future and the danger to the rights that the LGBTQ community have long fought for.

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According to the Human Rights Campaign, there over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in states around the country.

Many of Monday's speakers warned the crowd not to take anything for granted.

"We want people to realize that this can happen at any time. And now we're in a period of time where this is happening," said Don Burger.

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And amid those threats, many here say the memory of Moscone and Milk help them continue their fight for true equality.

"If Harvey had anything to say about it, he would probably say it was worth it to get killed in order to make that happen," said Carol Ruth Silver.

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