MILK: Cleve Jones

I saw Milk during its sold out opening weekend. I didn’t fully know what to expect, but by the time it was over I knew I saw something special, and possibly transformative. When the credits rolled, only a moderate round of applause filled the theatre, but no one raised from their seats. After a minute, people quietly shuffled from the theatre and moved silently en masse through the hall toward the street. While standing in the long restroom line at the Landmark theatre on E street, I watched the crowd of gay men stoically fill this restroom. I've always felt disconnected from my community and the gods it worships, but in that moment I felt aware of a bond of honorable membership that was so much bigger than the differences I've fought against my entire out life. As my turn came to enter a free stall, I passed the previous occupant, an older, rotund man. He looked me in the eyes, and in a brief moment we knowingly shared the communal effect of blank wonder imbued through the crowd--one you might see from any person who wakes from a hard sleep to find before them something curious, transcendent, and beautiful. Standing in the irony of a restroom stall, I recognized that in spite of more pride parades than I can remember and struggles for self-acceptance that I have overcome, I had never felt a fuller sense of gay pride.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Cleve Jones (portrayed in the film “MILK” by actor Emile Hirsch) discuss the film, gay activism, and where we go from here on the Feast of Fools podcast. We're lucky to have leaders such as Cleve Jones, and it's nice to see him receive long overdue recognition of his efforts. You can also check out his website at www.clevejones.com, which has great photos. I had no idea that he was also responsible for the AIDS quilt project.