More Musing: The Great Cleve Jones

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"There's no question, I'm so proud of Sean," said Jones, on his way to a post Oscars celebration Sunday night. "Tonight the movement (towards equal rights) was significantly advanced. There is a strategy. There is a way to move forward."


Jones said he hopes to use the momentum of the film to work for equal rights legislation on the federal level that would afford gays the same rights as straights - similar to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Jones was a real-life protege of Harvey Milk, the nation's first openly gay man elected to major office. Penn portrayed Milk in the film, and Jones attended the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles.

Penn mentioned Jones in his acceptance speech, calling him "the great Cleve Jones."

"It was lovely," Jones said of Penn's nod. "But you know, I'm not a movie star. I'm a union organizer." He works with UNITE HERE, a union that advocates for hotel and textile workers in North America.

More here at My Desert.

Jones pioneered the AIDS Quilt Project.

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