"Without hope, not only gays, but those who are blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors -- the 'us's' -- without hope the 'us's' give up. I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you, and you, and you have got to give them hope." - Harvey Milk, "Hope Speech," 1978

Hope doesn't win elections or change the world by itself. It's all people with hope that do it. The people who believe that not only SHOULD things be better, but somehow, some way, things will be better.

Attending a Milk+Love event on Saturday feeds both halves of the activist. A brief break from fighting for what's right to celebrate what's right and remember how we've gotten here. An extra infusion of motivation and hope before attending a Light Up the Night candlelight vigil.

Robert Cruickshank wrote to Courage members earlier this week explaining his personal connection to Milk and what this weekend can mean:


On a chilly night last February, my wife and I joined thousands of other San Franciscans on Market Street to celebrate Harvey Milk's life and legacy.

We were extras in the film "MILK" and we were recreating the march, and candlelight vigil of over 30,000 people, that took place the night Milk was assassinated 30 years ago. That night, we felt the hope that Milk talked about all his life.

And, as straight activists, we felt empowered to stand up for gay rights -- for equality.

Now, you have a new and meaningful opportunity to stand up for LGBT rights -- for marriage equality.

On Saturday, will "you, and you, and you" attend a Courage Campaign screening of "MILK" and then participate in a "Light Up the Night" candlelight vigil, organized by our friends at Join the Impact?

We're calling this special event "MILK plus LOVE" and we want you -- and your friends, family and neighbors -- to be there. Courage Campaign members just like you are organizing these screenings on Saturday at 40 movie theaters in communities across California. All you need to do is RSVP now so they know how many people are coming (and then buy your movie tickets at the theater before the event).

At the Courage Campaign, we believe that the only way we are going to be able to repeal Prop 8 in California is by having frank, honest discussions with our friends, our colleagues, and, yes, our families. We need to talk about the meaning of marriage and emphasize the core argument that, in America, separate is NOT equal.

That's why we want you to invite your "us's" -- your friends, family and neighbors -- to this special event. Not just the friends that agree with you, but the friends who may not have fully considered why marriage equality is a fundamental civil right.

Forty screenings of "MILK" have been organized across California by Courage Campaign members just like you on Saturday afternoon. In many of these communities, participants will watch "MILK" and then walk or drive to "Light Up the Night," the nationwide candlelight vigils organized by the Join the Impact to draw attention to the 18,000 same-sex couples who were married in California before Prop 8 passed in November.

You can "give them hope" on Saturday. Even if you've already seen "MILK," will you support these volunteer organizers by coming to "MILK plus LOVE" and inviting your "us's" -- especially those who might not otherwise see "MILK" unless you invite them? All it costs is the price of a movie ticket. Click here to RSVP now for Saturday's screening and candlelight vigil.

Restoring marriage equality to California is about much more than just LGBT rights. And the LGBT rights movement is part of a much broader progressive movement to change America

As Harvey Milk's "Hope speech" -- and his commitment to social justice -- exemplified, the future of California and the country depends on all of our communities coming together in common cause.

On Saturday, please come together with your community and attend a screening of "MILK" and a candlelight vigil to "Light Up the Night" for equality.

Thank you for everything you are doing to make Harvey Milk's vision for America a reality.