San Francisco Columbarium Rededicates Milk Niche

The San Francisco Columbarium rededicated a larger memorial niche in honor of slain city supervisor Harvey Milk for its observance of Harvey Milk Day.

The niche contains items that were donated years ago by Dan Nicoletta, a gay man and longtime photographer who once worked with Milk at his Castro Camera shop.

In a Facebook post, Nicoletta, who now lives in Oregon and could not be present at the May 23 rededication ceremony, said that the Columbarium was "upgrading Harvey to a larger niche."

The niche contains memorial items; his ashes were spread over the Pacific Ocean and some are buried in the sidewalk under a plaque in front of Milk's old camera store, now a store and action center run by the Human Rights Campaign.

"Years ago they inaugurated memorial niches to honor several late local heroes, including Harvey," Nicoletta, 60, said. "The coolness factor was the original decision to get involved as his old niche was way up high and you had to crane to see it."

Calling it a "treasure trove of wonderful materials," Nicoletta donated a medium-sized box filled with election pins, magazines, and photos, including one with Milk and former Mayor George Moscone, who was killed along with Milk in 1978. The project was delayed after the flurry of activity surrounding the 2008 biopic Milk , for which Nicoletta served as a consultant.

Nicoletta said that one of his favorite items is a Marc Cohen portrait of Milk with his lover and business partner, the late Scott Smith.

"Both men were like gay parents to me," Nicoletta said in an email.

Nicoletta said that the decision to donate the items came about in a casual conservation with the Columbarium staff as they viewed Milk as an icon for the advancement of the LGBT movement.

"Harvey would find people who believed that they were not worthy, that they were less than or not normal. He looked them in the eye and said that's not true. You are worthy, you are valuable, and you are normal," said Columbarium general manager Bob Yount, 65.

Added Yount, a gay man, "He changed thousands of lives and he continues to inspire."

The rededication became more relevant as news spread at the ceremony that Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote in an election on May 22, which would have been Milk's 85th birthday.

Mary Regan, funeral family service counselor at the Columbarium, quipped that the niche will be on display "in perpetuity."

"It's about time that his niche was eye-level," joked Regan, 57, who identifies as questioning. "It's great that his niche was upgraded to a better condo because his impact is large."

The Columbarium is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are no immediate plans of rotating the items in Milk's niche.

"The Columbarium is a well-kept secret as one of the great places in San Francisco," said Nicoletta, who has a personal fondness for the location. "It's a jaw-dropping beautiful Victorian historical landmark from the turn of the century. Everyone should visit at least once."

Nicoletta recalled celebrating Milk's birthday.

"It brings a great feeling inside as we were close friends and would celebrate each other's birthdays," he said. "A lot of humor as we would throw pies in the face. It harkens back to my youth and birthdays were big amongst our friends."

While he couldn't be there for the ceremony, Nicoletta hopes people who watched the movie and others visit the Columbarium to see the niche.

"Harvey Milk changed the hearts and minds and continues to do so today," said Yount. "Harvey did not like the dark, he liked living in the light. Where there is light, there is life."