Harvey Milk Stamp Release Causes Post-Office Fever in San Francisco

Residents of San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood lined up outside the post office early Thursday in eager anticipation of the release of a stamp commemorating slain gay-rights leader and politician Harvey Milk.

“It was just like when Elvis Presley went on sale,” postal worker Yolanda Layoc told the San Francisco Chronicle. “People have been asking about this stamp for three months.”

Sales were speedy at the post office in the Castro, which Milk represented in the city’s legislature at the time of his assassination. Some 5,000 stamps were sold within the first hour, and other offices had to send in additional shipments for the 18th and Diamond streets branch to meet demand.

Philadelphia resident Bill Adams was one of the lucky customers, and he said the event was especially significant to him since same-sex marriage was legalized in his home state the same week.

“I’m just thinking how far we’ve come since Harvey,” Adams said.

[SFGate]