Addressed to the photographer Rink Foto, longtime Castro District photojournalist and friend of Harvey Milk, who had an exhibit on display in Milk’s Castro Street camera shop.
The text highlights the role of the shop as not only a centre for photographers but as a political organising space: “Rink, Thanks for coming by the shop last night in regards to the registration drive. We now have 17 names on the list. I think that is a good start. If you find anyone who is interested have them come by the shop and talk to Scott or myself … have them look at the wondrous pictures on display and have them bring a friend. I think it can be done. The hardest part is the start. We have passed that point. Thanks, Harvey.”
The aptly named Rink Foto has been described as “a gay activist masquerading as a journalist” (Amsterdam Quarterly). A fixture of the San Francisco queer community, he has photographed LGBT life and events since 1969. He attributes his own interest in politics to his early interactions with Harvey Milk, and the present letter was written the year after Foto had a small exhibition in the window of Castro Camera, showcasing his beautiful pictures of same-sex couples as part of the 1974 Gay Parade celebration. This is thought to be the first public photo exhibition of this nature. In the course of his tireless documentation of the LGBT community, he claims to have attended (with his camera) over “600 events a year, including theatre events, protests, parties, benefits, film festivals, parades, street fairs, leather, drag, transgender, intersex, people of colour, bisexuals, youth, AIDS (since its emergence), women’s health issues, and just about every aspect of the LGBT community. The Rink Foto archive includes over 400,000 photographs and negatives, and hundreds of important items of memorabilia and artwork” (Rink Foto’s Blogspot).
Politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk (1930-1978) moved permanently to San Francisco in 1972, where he opened a camera store in the heart of the gay community on Castro Street. Milk’s natural charisma and passionate nature led him to challenge the traditional assimilationist approach to gay political campaigning, and as his advocacy for queer people as well as his populist resistance to property developers and raising housing prices quickly saw him gain traction in the race for city supervisor. He achieved this post in 1977 alongside his ally Mayor George Moscone. His success was largely due to an incredible mobilisation of grassroots campaigning, both by and within the gay community, but also can be attributed to the coalitions built with other marginalised demographics. “As the nation’s first and only openly gay elected official, Milk also spoke out on state and national issues affecting gays, including pending antigay legislation in Florida, Minnesota, Kansas, Oregon, and California, among other states. Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated in their city hall offices by Dan White, a former supervisor and political opponent” (ANB).
