Mike Tidmus

Sean Penn at the Castro premiere of Milk (Photo: Brant Ward/SF Chronicle)

Had Harvey Miilk lived ”less people would’ve died of AIDS,” says Sean Penn, who plays the assassinated gay leader in the soon to be released biopic, Milk.

Had this statement come from almost any other actor working today, I’d chalk it up to flagrant promotion of an upcoming film, but Penn is well known for his strong, and sometimes unpopular, left-leaning political positions. And I think, as a result of his immersion in the character, Penn gets what Harvey Milk was all about in a way few Hollywood actors would. Plus, I think he’s absolutely right.

From Pink News:

Harvey Milk would have forced more action on AIDS, claims Sean Penn

The actor who plays gay politician Harvey Milk in a biopic to be released in the UK next year has said that his death left the community less able to push for action on AIDS.

Sean Penn, who has been tipped for an Oscar for Milk, said:

“Milk wouldn’t have stood quietly.

“He was a leader and he happened to be focused on the gay movement.

“Because the popular notion was that AIDS was a gay disease, certainly huge numbers of homosexuals died; I think he would’ve advanced that argument.

“I think people are dead because he died too soon.”

[ ... ]

He was gunned down at City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former Supervisor, on November 27th 1978.

Mr Penn said that “less people would’ve died of AIDS,” had Harvey Miilk lived.

“I think Ronald Reagan would’ve been forced to address AIDS. It was a tragic loss,” he said.

The film opens 26 November, the eve of the 30th anniversary of Harvey Milk’s assassination.