Commemorative Harvey Milk Stamp to Debut at Long Last in 2014?

In 2009 a huge community push was begun to get the United States Post Office to create  a commemorative stamp in honor of Castro's home town hero and civil rights icon, Harvey Milk. Nearly six years later that dream may become a reality in 2014. According to Linn's Stamp News, a weekly publication that's the arbiter of all things philatelic, surmised in its May 27, 2013 issue that Milk was among the special stamps chosen for next year by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee during its hush-hush, closed-door meetings in January and February of  2013. An anonymous source sent Linn's editors a copy of the panel's January 31 and February 1 meeting minutes where 2014 stamps were debated and picked. These smuggled papers included a notation in the minutes regarding the Milk stamp, along with a variety of other honorees, had been approved at their April 13th meeting. Reporter Bill McAllister sent a copy of this article to the Bay Area Reporter, SF's oldest Queer newspapers, as well as a copy of the article posted to the website of the subscription-only publication May 13th. He also warned people not to get their hopes up. It's not a done deal. Many factors could derail the process. McAllister's papers nonetheless, list the Milk stamp for release in May next year perhaps in conjunction with his 84th birthday on May 22nd. The current Washington administration is very Harvey Milk friendly. As we posted earlier in the month President Obama gave ten LGBT politico's from around the country his special accolade honoring those who carry on the spirit of Harvey's work today that he aptly christened the Harvey Milk Champions of Change Award.

The community at large is still very much involved in helping the stamp transition from hope to reality. The Harvey Milk Foundation headed up by Harvey's nephew, Stuart Milk has been in the hunt since day one initating when the Imprial Court Council first initatied the drive. There's a Facebook page, Harvey Milk Stamp Campaign, erected in 2011 and a now closed Change.org petition ininitated by the National Lesbian Gay Task Force that garnered over 11K worth of signatures all urging the USPS towards this goal. Surely having such a big, Harvey Milk fan and booster of his message in the White House like the POTUS will have some positive influence on the Post Office's selection process. We will just have to wait until next year to see if all the work thats gone into making the stamp a reality finally pays off. -via Towelroad, Bay Area Reporter