Anne Kronenberg

Last updated
Anne Kronenberg
Anne kronenberg - streetcar dedication.jpg
Kronenberg speaks at Harvey Milk Streetcar Dedication.
NationalityAmerican
Citizenship United States
OccupationsPublic service, US LGBT advocate
Known for Harvey Milk, San Francisco Dept. of Emergency Management, Milk, Harvey Milk Foundation
Children3

Anne Kronenberg is an American political administrator and LGBT rights activist. She is best known for being Harvey Milk's campaign manager during his historic San Francisco Board of Supervisors campaign in 1977 and his aide as he held that office until he and mayor George Moscone were assassinated. As an openly lesbian political activist, Kronenberg was noted for her instrumental role in the gay rights movement, both for Milk's campaign and in her own right. [1]

Contents

Kronenberg appeared in the 1984 documentary film The Times of Harvey Milk [2] [ unreliable source? ] and her role in Milk's life was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning 2008 film Milk . Kronenberg was one of the grand marshals of the 2009 New York City LGBT Pride parade, joining the film's writer Dustin Lance Black and AIDS activist Cleve Jones who also worked with Milk. [3]

Kronenberg was the executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, and she is known globally through her public appearances in her role as co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Response to Milk's assassination

Kronenberg was on a plane flying to Seattle when Milk was assassinated on November 27, 1978. At the airport, her family told her Milk had been shot, and she immediately got on the next plane back to San Francisco. She said later that they did not know at the time that the murderer was Dan White, and had feared that a gunman was simply targeting gays. "It was a scary, very sad, horrible day," she said. Kronenberg participated in the candlelight vigil honoring Milk and was the keynote speaker at his memorial service at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. [4]

Following Milk's assassination, Kronenberg received "an immense base of broad support" [5] to replace Milk on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, but was passed up for Harry Britt by Dianne Feinstein. [5]

Work after Milk's campaign

Kronenberg began chairing the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Single Room Occupancy Task Force at its inception in 1998, a role she continues to this day. She worked with the administration and planning of the San Francisco Department of Public Health for nearly 15 years, being elevated to the position of deputy director. Kronenberg has also worked at the local, state, and federal levels for such politicians as Senator Ted Kennedy and Assemblyman John Vasconcellos. [6]

Work in State and San Francisco government

Following work in the State Legislature, Kronenberg was deputy director for Administration and Planning of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and is a former executive director of the SF Department of Emergency Management. [7] She also served as a board member appointed by the Governor to the State Board of Podiatric Medicine (BPM) during this period.

While Kronenberg identified as a lesbian in the 1970s, she later fell in love with a man she met in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s, whom she later married. She currently lives in California with her husband, stepson, daughter and son. [4]

Kronenberg was one of the official grand marshals of the 2009 NYC LGBT Pride March, produced by Heritage of Pride joining Dustin Lance Black and Cleve Jones on June 28, 2009. [3]

Kronenberg co-founded the international (NGO) non governmental non-profit Harvey Milk Foundation with Harvey's nephew, a global human rights advocate, Stuart Milk [8] and currently serves as co-chair of the annual Harvey Milk Day celebration [9] coordinated by the Foundation.

Portrayal in Milk

Kronenberg was portrayed in Milk by Canadian actress Alison Pill. Pill played the role of Kronenberg as she was during the campaign; leather-wearing, bike-riding, and helping to ease some of the social and political barriers between gay men and lesbians. [1]

Kronenberg's response to the film was very positive. At the premiere of Milk, she said in an interview:

... Milk highlights the struggles of the lesbian and gay movement and the inner workings of the man who changed the entire nature of the movement. Harvey is loving this — I have felt his presence through the entire production of Milk. I could almost see him walking down the red carpet at the premiere, bowing, throwing kisses, and generally entertaining the masses. Harvey's life was theatre and Tuesday's premiere was the ultimate stage. [6]

Kronenberg served as an adviser for the film and made a cameo appearance as a stenographer. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Milk</span> American gay rights activist (1930–1978)

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Night riots</span> 1979 riots in San Francisco, California, US

The White Night riots were a series of violent events sparked by an announcement of a lenient sentencing of Dan White for the assassinations of George Moscone, the mayor of San Francisco, and of Harvey Milk, a member of the city's Board of Supervisors who was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. The events took place on the night of May 21, 1979, in San Francisco. Earlier that day White had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the lightest possible conviction for his actions. The lesser conviction outraged the city's gay community, setting off the most violent reaction by gay Americans since the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.

<i>The Times of Harvey Milk</i> 1984 American film

The Times of Harvey Milk is a 1984 American documentary film that premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and then on November 1, 1984, at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. The film was directed by Rob Epstein, produced by Richard Schmiechen, and narrated by Harvey Fierstein, with an original score by Mark Isham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleve Jones</span> American LGBT rights and AIDS activist

Cleve Jones is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which has become, at 54 tons, the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2020. In 1983 at the onset of the AIDS pandemic, Jones co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which has grown into one of the largest and most influential advocacy organizations empowering people with AIDS in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club</span> Democratic club founded in 1976 by Harvey Milk and his supporters

Based in San Francisco, California, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club is a chapter of the Stonewall Democrats, named after LGBT politician and activist Harvey Milk. Believing that the existing Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club would never support him in his political aspirations, Milk co-founded the political club under the name "San Francisco Gay Democratic Club" in the wake of his unsuccessful 1976 campaign for the California State Assembly. Joining Milk in forming the club were a number of the city's activists, including Harry Britt, Dick Pabich, Jim Rivaldo, and first club president Chris Perry.

<i>Milk</i> (2008 American film) 2008 film by Gus Van Sant

Milk is a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black, the film stars Sean Penn as Milk, Josh Brolin as Dan White, a city supervisor, and Victor Garber as San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dustin Lance Black</span> American screenwriter, director, producer and activist

Dustin Lance Black is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film Milk, for which he won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2009. He has also subsequently written the screenplays for the film J. Edgar and the 2022 crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven.

Henry "Hank" Wilson was a longtime San Francisco LGBT rights activist and long term AIDS activist and survivor. The Bay Area Reporter noted that "over more than 30 years, he played a pivotal role in San Francisco's LGBT history." He grew up in Sacramento, and graduated with a B.A. in education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castro Camera</span> Building in California, United States of America

Castro Camera was a camera store in the Castro District of San Francisco, California, operated by Harvey Milk from 1972 until his assassination in 1978. During the 1970s the store became the center of the neighborhood's growing gay community, as well as campaign headquarters for Milk's various campaigns for elected office.

James M. Foster was an American LGBT rights and Democratic activist. Foster became active in the early gay rights movement when he moved to San Francisco following his undesirable discharge from the United States Army in 1959 for being homosexual. Foster co-founded the Society for Individual Rights (SIR), an early homophile organization, in 1964. Dianne Feinstein credited SIR and the gay vote with generating her margin of victory in her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert Baker (artist)</span> American artist and LGBT activist (1951–2017)

Gilbert Baker was an American artist, designer, activist, and vexillographer, best known as the creator of the rainbow flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Milk</span> American LGBT human rights activist

Lawrence Stuart Milk is an American LGBT human rights activist and political speaker. The nephew of civil rights leader Harvey Milk, he is the co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. He has engaged in domestic and international activism, including work with LGBT movements in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Milk Foundation</span> LGBTQ rights foundation

The Harvey Milk Foundation was founded in 2009 by Harvey Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, and Harvey's campaign manager and political aide, Anne Kronenberg, based on discussions held with the family and close Harvey Milk allies after Stuart received the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier that year. The organization continues to be headed by Stuart Milk and Anne Kronenberg and operates on a small, mostly private donor based, budget.

Jean Harris, born Kathie Jean Shafer, was an American Democratic and LGBT rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in San Francisco</span>

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) community in San Francisco is one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the United States, and is one of the most important in the history of American LGBT rights and activism alongside New York City. The city itself has been described as "the original 'gay-friendly city'". LGBT culture is also active within companies that are based in Silicon Valley, which is located within the southern San Francisco Bay Area.

Pat Norman was an American activist for women's rights, as well as the rights of the African American and LGBT communities.

Richard William Paul Pabich was an American gay rights activist best known for his role as a campaign manager and friend to Harvey Milk.

The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor is a memorial wall in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, dedicated to LGBTQ "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes". Located inside the Stonewall Inn, the wall is part of the Stonewall National Monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to the country's LGBTQ rights and history. The first fifty inductees were unveiled June 27, 2019, as a part of events marking the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Five honorees are added annually.

References

  1. 1 2 Keith, Christie (2008-11-24). "The Lesbian in "Milk": Alison Pill as Anne Kronenberg". After Ellen. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  2. ↑ "IMDb: Anne Kronenberg". IMDb . Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  3. 1 2 "NYC LGBT Gay Pride - March". Nycpride.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  4. 1 2 3 Johnson, Chris (2008-11-21). "Harvey Milk's friends reminisce about gay hero" . Retrieved 2009-03-15.[ dead link ]
  5. 1 2 Shilts, Randy. (2008). The Mayor of Castro Street. St. Martin's Press. ISBN   978-1-4668-2967-1. OCLC   1090873141.
  6. 1 2 Kronenberg, Anne (October 30, 2008). "Harvey Milk on the Ultimate State". Focus Features. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  7. ↑ Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (4 July 2018). "After 40 years in public service Anne Kronenberg announces retirement". San Francisco Examiner.
  8. ↑ "Harvey Milk Foundation - About Us". Harvey Milk Foundation . Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Harvey Milk Day - Steering Committee". Harvey Milk Foundation . Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.