Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!
The Man Who Kept Harvey Milk’s Dream Alive
A new Queer Serial
sister series
Original release: May 7, 2022
Episode 1
“The Most Screwed Up Person in the World”
In 1978, the political leader of the queer community Harvey Milk was murdered by a former cop named Dan White. On his audio will, Milk recommended a list of possible successors, including a relatively unknown volunteer in his campaign, Harry Britt. Hear the story of Harvey Milk's rise to power, and the quiet life of a closeted minister who would be appointed by Milk as his successor. Over three months in 2009, historian Will Roscoe recorded interviews with Milk's successor, Supervisor Harry Britt, who turned Milk's politics into reality. Britt and Roscoe both experienced Milk's assassination, one a rising political leader and the other an angry activist.
“And I’m still mad.”
Instagram @queerserial
APRIL 20, 2022
Now… where did I leave off? New season May 7
📸 Photo by Rick Sullivan, 1975. San Francisco State University.
APRIL 21, 2022
"We were not supposed to be a minority that you have to be nice to. We needed to be a minority that you fear." 🔥
New season May 7.
📸 1978. San Francisco State University.
APRIL 21, 2022
New season May 7. Patreon subscribers can listen to a 7 min preview now!! ooh la la
📸 1978. San Francisco State University.
DECEMBER 4, 2021
much f@ggotry & frivolity coming soon… 😘
MARCH 14, 2022
SAY GAY 🍊 Join me for a surprisingly fun dive into the history of Florida’s gay hate! FREE POST on my patreon! Link in my bio 💋
MAY 1, 2022
Supervisor Harvey Milk left a plan for us in his audio will.
A new series about Harvey’s final wishes begins May 7, wherever you listen to podcasts. 🔥
“You’re the one who keeps bringing up this phony ‘recruitment.’
MARCH 16, 2022
Anita Bryant won the battle against a gay rights ordinance in Florida, but she started a war. ✨read my piece about it here✨
In a free post on my Patreon, I'm diving into the roots of the "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida, currently sitting on the governor's desk.
“You’re the one who keeps bringing up this phony ‘recruitment.’ You know you’re lying… You talk about morality, and I question what is your real motive behind it? What is your real ambitions behind this?”
Whether it’s “recruiting” or “grooming,” @flgovrondesantis is full of shit.
Harvey Milk debates John Briggs on Proposition 6, which would ban gay & lesbian teachers from California classrooms. He was inspired by Anita Bryant. (Read my free post about her crusade against gays in Florida on my patreon) 🍊
📺 KPIX, 1978.
“Just play that tape of Briggs and I over and over again...so people know where the seeds of hate come from."
APRIL 11, 2022
“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
—Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, effective July 1, 2022
📺 Harvey Milk debates John Briggs on Proposition 6, which would ban gay & lesbian teachers from California classrooms. Briggs was inspired by Florida’s own Anita Bryant. She accidentally catalyzed the national gay rights movement. @flgovrondesantis is doing the same.
(Read my free post about Anita’s crusade against gays in Miami on my patreon) 🍊
📺 KPIX, 1978.
APRIL 22, 2022
“And I’m still mad.”
A new Queer Serial sister series podcast coming May 7.
📺 KPIX San Francisco
APRIL 23, 2022
I never wanted to go too far past Stonewall with the podcast. I didn’t want to rehash Harvey’s story, didn’t want to put myself through the emotional torment of researching the AIDS crisis, and didn’t want to go anywhere near marriage equality because that is not at all what this podcast is about. And then I was approached by this Faerie who I met while releasing season 1, who showed me actually there is this incredible story most people don’t know about Harvey—that he chose his own successor in case he was killed—and that lovely Faerie had recorded HOURS of interviews with Milk’s successor, and when I heard those interviews and heard Milk’s full, unedited audio will (which you see him recording clips from in the movie) I was like 🤯 now THIS story is EXACTLY what this podcast is about—overlooked stories about queer rage and liberation. Can’t WAIT for you all to hear this show May 7. I’m so fucking excited for you to hear it.
📺 KPIX Eyewitness News, 1974.
APRIL 24, 2022
In Harvey Milk’s audio will, he left a plan for us. Starting May 7, in never-before-heard interviews with Milk’s chosen successor Harry Britt, we’ll hear the rest of the story.
Find Queer Serial’s new series wherever you listen to podcasts ✨
This season was created in collaboration with historian Will Roscoe! 🧚🏼♂️🧚🏼♀️
📸 Harry Britt on the Milk “human billboard” line. Photo by Daniel Nicoletta @dannic100
APRIL 25, 2022
"If I'm fighting for the rights of gay people—and I am—then I must fight for the rights of all people."
More to Milk's story May 7.
APRIL 25, 2022
Next week on Queer Serial, Harvey Milk's final wishes.
📸 Harvey before a Board of Supervisors meeting, 1978. @sfpubliclibrary
📸 Harvey & Mayor Moscone before signing the city's gay rights bill, April 1977. AP.
🗞 Anita Bryant's national campaign against gays to "save our children."
🗯 Flyer against the John Briggs Initiative banning gay teachers in California.
♥️ Harvey outside his camera shop, November 9, 1977. Getty.
APRIL 26, 2022
Next week on Queer Serial, former Supervisor Dan White assassinated our leader, but failed to stop our movement.
🗯 Flyer preparing for what would become the White Night Riots. @californiahistoricalsociety
📸 Harvey Milk and Dan White at a fundraiser on the ship Balcluthia. Photo by Dennis Desilva.
🗞 Some local news.
📎 Dan White campaign poster
APRIL 26, 2022
"Just play that tape of Briggs and I over and over again...so people know where the seeds of hate come from."
📸 Harvey Milk, Gwenn Craig, and Bill Kraus, c. 1978.
📸 Swipe to see @gwenndolina with the photo recently at the “Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope” exhibit at San Francisco Airport in Harvey Milk International Terminal 1.
📸 Senator John Briggs, taking inspiration from Anita Bryant, pushing the same absurd narrative that @flgovrondesantis is pushing today. Photo by AP.
🗞 What happens when we organize against these bigots.
APRIL 27, 2022
Next week on Queer Serial, after the assassination of George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes mayor of San Francisco.
📸 First female president of the Board of Supervisors Feinstein finishes in third place for mayor, November 3, 1971.
📸 Feinstein becomes acting mayor the day of Milk and Moscone's assassinations, November 27, 1978. Photo by Jerry Telfer, SF Chronicle.
📸 Feinstein becomes the first woman elected mayor of San Francisco, December 11, 1979. Photo by Jerry Telfer, SF Chronicle.
📸 1977 district elections allowed for communities to vote in an actual representative of their neighborhood, allowing for this Board of Supervisors, including SF's first Black female supe Elle Hill Hutch, the first Asian American supe Gordon Lau, the first openly gay supe Harvey Milk. Also pictured are board president Feinstein and former cop and future murderer Dan White.
APRIL 28, 2022
"I know I told him I wasn't gonna be the next Supervisor."
Next week on Queer Serial, Harry Britt reluctantly takes the job.
📸 Supervisor Harry Britt with friends in the Castro, 1979. AP.
MAY 2, 2022
"I can look at my childhood as autism, I can look at it as transgender, I can look at is as OCD out the wazoo... Put all of those labels on what I was."
“Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” starts May 7 🎈
📸 @californiahistoricalsociety
Anne Kronenberg
APRIL 30, 2022
Harvey's 4th choice for his successor, Anne Kronenberg, was the choice many people in the gay community rallied behind—including Harry Britt. Why didn't Mayor Feinstein appoint her?
May 7 on Queer Serial.
📸 Anne Kronenberg & Harvey Milk celebrate Election Night, 1977. Photo by Lance Wong.
📸 Anne & her motorcycle. Photo by Joyce Garay.
🤔 A couple photos of Kronenberg here I can’t find info about. Tips are appreciated. 💖
JUNE 27, 2022
Petitions for Anne Kronenberg—Milk’s campaign manager—to take his seat, as he requested. Zoom in to see Harry Britt listed as a supporter!
This season’s host Will Roscoe told us how he papered the streets with these flyers. The second image is a scan of his copy, with Anne’s photo cut out so he could make a button.
Juana SamayoaAPRIL 1, 2022
the bible don’t say gay…
cc: @flgovrondesantis
📺 Juana Samayoa interviews Supervisor Harvey Milk on her program "News Talk."
MAY 8, 2022
"Richard Nixon is in exile and Harvey Milk is in City Hall." 💥
📺 Juana Samayoa interviews Supervisor Harvey Milk on her program "News Talk."
APRIL 30, 2022
"The trust that Harvey put it me is the greatest vote of confidence I've ever had in my life, and the chance to be a part of his work is what gives my life meaning right now."
Next week on Queer Serial, Harry Britt is chosen by Milk as his successor—just in case.
MAY 10, 2022
"History is on the side of people coming to be more open and more accepting of each other." ✨
📺 Juana Samayoa interviews Supervisor Harry Britt on her program "News Talk."
Will Roscoe
MAY 5, 2022
The new season was created in collaboration with historian Will Roscoe, a dear judy of mine! He knew Supervisor Harry Britt and recorded 20 hours of interviews with him before he passed, which you'll be able to hear for the first time this week on Queer Serial.
📸 Will & me in studio 💖
📸 More about Will's many queer history books at willsworld.org
📸 Former Supervisor Harry Britt & Will Roscoe
📸 Will in studio recording the pod
📸 Will in Berkeley, 1978.
MAY 10, 2022
My very special guest on this week’s patreon BONUS episode is Miss Will Roscoe!! She's a darling judy of mine, and co-creator of GIVE 'EM HELL 🔥 We're talking about Faeries and Will’s books and Harry Britt's gender(‼️) and all kinds of gay shit JOIN US! 💥💥💥💥
patreon.com/queerserial
$3/month
link in my bio 💖
MAY 3, 2022
I identified with Harry Britt’s story for lots of reasons, especially because he was a closeted minister before he became a gay activist. I also grew up in church. Here’s some of MY family!! My grandparents Steve & Faye Camp, and my dad, aunt, and uncle. My Granny & Gramps are Christian ministers, as you can tell by the hair. (The second photo is teeny but you can still see Granny’s PHD—“pentecostal hair-do.”) Over the years, my grandparents changed drastically, remaining faithful to their religion, but coming to understand its values differently. Harry Britt had a similar journey with his faith, and while producing this season I thought a lot about my grandparents and the struggle they went through—to be faithful to the church while also loving the so-called sinners in their life, like their f@ggy grandson. (But girl, somehow, they were the ones who made it easy for me to come out.) They also now attend a weekly queer discussion group at their church called Kaleidoscope, and this is the first season of QS they’re not voice acting in!
Anyway, this little series is for all you religious queer folks & you religious allies who betray antiquated rules to help the girls when we need you. ❤️
📸 The Camps, 1979 or 1980.
📸 Some fabulous wood-paneled Indiana church, I’m guessing 1970s.
📸 Harry Britt during a speech in 1987. Can’t seem to find any photos of him as a working minister, but you can see it here, and you’ll hear it in his political speeches on the pod.
📸 New pod starts May 7
📸 “Princess Grad” Grandpa at my 2014 college grad party in my tiara; attending Indy Pride a few years ago; after my 17yo performance as the Emcee in Cabaret, hi gay.
📸 Recording early episodes of the podcast 💖 (Grandpa as Harry Hay, Granny as Helen Branson)
🪧 Protesting the border camps in 2019
📸 Tattoo day, September 26, 2019.
📸 Lake Michigan, Chicago, a few years ago.
MAY 4, 2022
So much gratitude for our fabulous sponsors & our supporters on Indiegogo 💖
@harveymilkclub @onearchives @glbt_history @sfpubliclibrary #sistersofperpetualindulgence @makinggayhistorypodcast @shapingsf
MAY 5, 2022
I never planned to retell Harvey Milk's story—until I heard the rest of his audio will, unedited.
Hear the rest of the story May 7 💐
MAY 6, 2022
Harvey's story didn't end here.
“Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” starts tomorrow. 🔥
MAY 7, 2022
That morning, Harvey Milk told Harry Britt he expected to be killed, "and that he wanted me to live my life in such a way that when he was killed, I would be available to be his successor."
Listen to episode 1 of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!" now!
MAY 7, 2022
Listen now free wherever you listen to podcasts ✨
JULY 15, 2022
Toad Hall 🍻 discussed on the podcast as the birthplace of the "Castro Clone" and the bar Harry Britt frequented before he became supervisor.
📸 Frank Hoffman leaping in front of Toad Hall, Castro Street, San Francisco, c. 1978.
MAY 9, 2022
"I ask for our movement to continue, for our movement to grow."
🎧 Harvey's audio will — hear it on the podcast.
📸 Harvey Milk at the San Francisco Gay Day Parade, 1978. Photo by Marie Ueda. @glbt_history
free bonus episodeS
Preview the series
A new sister series about Supervisor Harvey Milk’s final wishes.
On his audio will, Milk recommended a list of possible successors, including a relatively unknown volunteer in his campaign, Harry Britt.
Over three months in 2009, Roscoe recorded interviews with Harvey Milk’s successor, Supervisor Harry Britt, who turned Harvey Milk’s politics into reality. Will and Harry experienced Harvey’s assassination. They were in the candlelight march that night. And they were at City Hall when angry queers rioted, burning 14 cop cars. Harry Britt refused to apologize.
In a new series, we’ll tell you Milk’s story, and pick up where the movie left off. You’ll hear the story of a shy minister was chosen by Milk to fill his shoes in the event of assassination—and how he kept the movement going forward.
Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, & Harry Britt
Speak at Harvey Milk's 50th Birthday Dinner, 1980
Remember when Jane Fonda went viral in 2020 for a decades-old clip of her advocating for gay rights? Here’s the speech she gave later that night at the Harvey Milk Gay Democratic Club’s Milk birthday dinner on May 21, 1980. I believe the clip on YouTube is mislabeled as 1979, because her speech that night very specifically references the interaction with the reporter—but please correct me if I’m wrong!
This clip from “The Gay Life” hosted by Randy Alfred is courtesy our FABULOUS SPONSOR: THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN SAN FRANCISCO 💖 It features the voices of Randy Alfred, Supervisor Harry Britt, Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, and Bill Kraus.
Happy 92nd birthday, Harvey! ✨
Original release date: May 22, 2022
“Harvey Milk's Political Will”
“This is Harvey Milk speaking from my camera store on the evening of Friday, November 18th. This is Tape #2…This is to be played only in the event of my death by assassination.”
This audio is provided courtesy of Daniel Nicoletta, a fabulous photographer who worked on Harvey’s campaigns and took some of the most well known photos of Harvey and Harry. You can read Dan’s history of the tapes and the transcript in a lovely new book here.
Infamous Crimes: White Night Riot Interviews
Producer Devlyn Camp talks to rioters who attended the legendary May 21, 1979
uprising following the verdict in the Dan White trial.
Listen only on Patreon.
Listen to the
preview here!
Sister Series Host
Will Roscoe
Professional Rioter
Jerry the Faerie
Anarchist
Joey Cain
Artist down the street
Rumi Missabu
Sister Mary Media
Cass Brayton
Forgotten Fairy Tales: Will Roscoe Interviews
Sister series host Will Roscoe interviews friends
and co-workers of Supervisor Harry Britt.
Listen only on Patreon.
Gwenn Craig:
Tom Ammiano:
Sharon Johnson:
Randy Alfred:
David Weissman:
Tim Wolfred:
Special thanks to the Hong-Murray Family Trust for their generous support of this project, in honor of the legacy of Stephen O. Murray.
Special thanks to the following
“No Apologies” & “Give ‘em Hell” donors on Indiegogo:
Timothy Dupps
Rafael Mandelman
Donald Hoffman
Tim Wolfred
Pat Gourley
Sharon Johnson
Sam Tepperman-Gelfant
P. Goldblum
Gerry Filby
Liz Ryan Murray
David Weissman
Tab Buckner
Daniel Nicoletta
Michael Epstein
Edward Wright
Angelica Jongco
Toby Johnson
Sparkle Jim Cartwright ✨
Duc Luu
David Bloxsom
Jason McKillican
Paul Di Ciccio
Eric Cervini
“Harry was progressive before the word became vogue. He was a powerful advocate for the gay community who never took no for an answer.”
—Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Listen to excerpts and learn more about Harry Britt on Will Roscoe’s website here, & sign up for periodic updates here!
Send inquiries to Devlyn here or Will here.
Donate to the production here.
Harry Britt and Will Roscoe, October 7, 2010.
“We needed to be a minority that you fear.”
Harry Britt