The Times of Harvey Milk

Having just seen Milk, it was nice to follow with the documentary version. The Times of Harvey Milk was made in 1984, just 6 years after the assassination, and a couple months after Dan White was released from jail for the double murder of Milk and Moscone. No new revelations in this version, but it is good to confirm some ideas from the more recent rendition. I am always a bit hesitant about absorbing information from "historical fiction" movies. I hate that my only real ideas about some serious history comes from a medium that allows/encourages/requires creative license. So the documentary at least makes me feel better about what I now "know" about Harvey Milk and the development of the gay civil rights movement. I am a bit amazed at how new civil rights issues are for gay/lesbians. This discussion in a public/political forum started in my lifetime. Perhaps this says more about how old I am getting, but in the big timeline, it is still a new discourse for our country. And re-reading that last section, I wonder if one can be "a bit amazed"? Is "amazed" too big of a word/idea to be paired with "a bit"? I am surprised that San Francisco became the center of gay culture only in the last 30 years. My incorrect perception was that San Francisco had always had this character. I am discouraged by the inability for people to truly debate a difficult topic. The Milk/Briggs debate was an excellent example of stating presupposed belief without the willingness/ability to even consider a different point of view. I am reminded that stereotyping almost always leads to misunderstanding.
4-stars