On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White.

Moscone and Milk were both Democrats and had been allies in the fight for gay rights. Moscone had appointed Milk to the Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay elected official in a major American city.

White had resigned from the Board of Supervisors earlier that year, but he had changed his mind and wanted his old job back. When Moscone told White that he would not be reinstated, White went to City Hall armed with a gun.

He first shot Moscone in the mayor’s office, and then he went to Milk’s office and shot him multiple times. White then fled the scene, but he was later arrested and charged with murder.

At his trial, White pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He claimed that he had been suffering from a depressive episode that made him unable to control his actions.

The jury rejected White’s insanity plea and found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he was released after serving five years.

In 1985, White committed suicide by taking cyanide.

The assassinations of Moscone and Milk were a major setback for the gay rights movement. However, they also galvanized the movement and led to a renewed wave of activism.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against gay and lesbian federal employees. This was the first time that a U.S. president had taken a major step to support gay rights.

In 1987, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to enact a domestic partner law. This law granted same-sex couples some of the same rights as married couples.

The assassinations of Moscone and Milk are a reminder of the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. However, they are also a testament to the resilience of the gay rights movement and its ability to overcome adversity.