The Gay Politics blog says whoever wrote the proclamation for Gov. Jerry Brown honoring the gay civil rights leader last Sunday should probably go back to history class:
Brown’s proclamation got history wrong in the section that reads, “In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man in the history of the United States to be elected to public office.”
Milk was actually the fifth out candidate elected to public office in the U.S., and the third openly gay man. His victory in 1977 was preceded by the election of the following openly gay and lesbian candidates.
It goes on to name them.