April 22, 2014
Postal Service Unveils Image for Harvey Milk Stamp
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The U.S. Postal Service will feature a close-up, black-and-white photograph of Harvey Milk on its commemorative stamp of the California politician and gay rights icon.
The stamp will show Milk smiling broadly and wearing a suit jacket and tie. The image is based on a Daniel Nicoletta photograph taken of Milk as he stood outside his Castro Street Camera Store in San Francisco.
A ceremony marking the stamp's first day of issue will take place May 22 at the White House. Another public ceremony will take place in San Francisco on May 28.
Customers may order the Harvey Milk stamp now with the delivery taking place following the May 22 issuance.
The U.S. Postal Service called Milk a visionary leader whose achievements gave hope and confidence to the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at a time when the community was encountering widespread hostility and discrimination.
Milk's political career was cut short less than one year after he entered office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated on Nov. 27, 1978. Milk was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009.
