Harry Britt
Harry Britt was an American politician and gay rights activist. Born in Texas, he worked as a Methodist pastor in Chicago as a young man and later moved to San Francisco. There, he worked with Harvey Milk until Milk's assassination in 1978. He was appointed to Milk's former seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where he remained until 1993, and served as the board's president from 1989 to 1990. Britt was a Democrat and member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1987 and for the California State Assembly in 2002, but was unsuccessful both times.
Background
Britt was a native of Port Arthur, Texas, and was educated at Duke University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Chicago. He began his career as a Methodist minister in Chicago, and was married to a woman; though they had divorced by 1968, Britt said that he still did not realize that he was gay at the time. He first became involved in politics in Chicago, during the civil rights movement. By the mid-1970s, he had moved to San Francisco and began working with Harvey Milk.Career
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Britt was first appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January 1979 by Mayor Dianne Feinstein, succeeding Milk, who was assassinated in City Hall along with Mayor George Moscone by former Supervisor Dan White. He also served as President of the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club. Britt was elected and re-elected to the board in 1979, 1980, 1984, and 1988. and served as President of the Board of Supervisors from 1989 to 1990. Britt was one of a few early members of the Democratic Socialists of America to be elected to public office.Britt, who was openly gay, introduced domestic partner legislation in 1982, which was passed by the Board of Supervisors but vetoed by Mayor Feinstein. In 1989, under Britt's leadership, the board again passed domestic partner legislation, which was this time signed by Mayor Art Agnos. However, voters narrowly repealed the domestic partnership law by initiative several months later. A modified version was reinstated by another voter initiative, 1990's Proposition K, also written by Britt.