One of the first openly gay politicians in the US was assassinated in 1978

US officials honored slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk on Thursday with the unveiling of a new postage stamp, and called for more work to advance the cause for which he gave his life.

Milk, one of the first openly gay politicians in the United States, was assassinated in 1978, a year after winning election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power noted at the White House event that there were still seven countries where it was legal to execute people for being homosexual.

She added her voice to a White House push for legislation that would ban US workplaces from discrimination based on sexual orientation. She mentioned Michael Sam, who recently became the first openly gay player to be selected in the National Football League draft.

"We cannot lose sight of how far we have yet to go. While we now do live in an age where the National Football League has for the first time drafted an openly gay man, we still live in an age where the NFL can fire him for being gay," she said.

"Postage stamps will not change that; legislation will."

The stamp has a black-and-white picture of a smiling Milk and his name in large, capital letters.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the US House of Representatives, reflected on attending Milk's funeral after he and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were gunned down.

"I thought, is this how it ends?" she said. "But it really was just the beginning of the impact that he ... would have. So it's pretty thrilling for us who knew and loved him and saw his courage firsthand."

She said being on a postage stamp was a privilege reserved for very few and that it was appropriate Milk was one of them.

Members of Milk's extended family attended the unveiling of the stamp, which took place in a building next to the White House.

"The United States has come a long way," said Erik Milk, 28, a grand nephew of the slain leader.

"Probably he never would have thought that anything like this, of this magnitude, would have ever happened, but you know, all of his efforts paid off in the long run."

Reuters

From left to right, Representative John Lewis, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, President of the Harvey Milk Foundation Stuart Milk, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman, and US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power applaud as they unveil the Harvey Milk Forever Stamp at a dedication ceremony at the White House in Washington on Thursday. The ceremony marks the first day of issue for the stamp honoring Milk. Larry Downing / Reuters

(China Daily 05/24/2014 page6)