AP: New tenant of Harvey Milk's old store draws ire

[alp227]

(12-14) 04:11 PST San Francisco (AP) --

On the surface, the new tenant at the storefront where Harvey Milk waged his historic political campaign would seem like the last organization to anger people in the gay community.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights lobbying group, wants to open up an information center and a gift shop in the building that would pay tribute to the slain gay rights leader.

But Milk's friends and admirers are so incensed at the group taking over the slain San Francisco supervisor's stomping grounds that they would rather see a Starbucks there, underscoring the tensions that exist within the various factions of the gay rights movement.

The organization is a frequent target of criticism from gay rights activists who consider its mainstream, "inside the Beltway" style ineffective. They believe the organization's philosophy of incremental progress in the gay rights movement runs completely counter to the uncompromising message of gay pride championed by Milk.

"It's spitting in the face of Harvey's memory," said AIDS Memorial Quilt founder Cleve Jones, who received his political education at Milk's side in the 1970s.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/12/14/national/a023352S34.DTL

[Newsjock]

1. The A-gays will have another place for their wine and cheese receptions

I'm so happy for them. Thanks for nothing, HRC.

[JackBeck]

2. And they already have a store right down the street.

I was surprised to see that store last year when I was in San Francisco for work. Now, I'm completely horrified that they would co-opt Harvey's memory by moving into his store.