Activists Seek to Tie 'Milk' to a Campaign for Gay Rights

By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Published: November 21, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/movies/22milk.html?_r=1&ref=movies

LOS ANGELES — When the movie "Milk" comes next month to Claremont, a college town about 30 miles from here, Patrick Milliner intends to greet it with a candlelight vigil protesting the newly passed state prohibition of gay marriage.

Patrick Milliner, a gay-rights advocate addressing a crowd last week, hopes to align "Milk" with a 'Shame on 8' campaign.

Before this month's election, Mr. Milliner organized unsuccessful opposition to California's same-sex marriage ban, Proposition 8. Now he expects the movie, about Harvey Milk, the murdered gay-rights crusader and San Francisco supervisor, to ignite his "Shame on 8" campaign.

"It fits perfectly with the plan," Mr. Milliner said.

That may be good for the movement. Whether it is also good for the movie is less clear.