The Resume

(August 8, 1951-February 17, 1994)
Born in Davenport, Iowa
Reporter for the 'Advocate' and 'San Francisco Chronicle'
Wrote the books 'The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk' (1982), 'And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic' (1987), and 'Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military' (1993)
Died of AIDS

Why he might be annoying:

He was egotistical.
He was spat on in Castro Street after calling for the closing of San Francisco's bath houses to slow the spread of AIDS.
Several members of the scientific community complained that his portrayal of the scientific establishment in 'And the Band Played On' was inaccurate.
Although he tested HIV-positive in 1987, he kept his condition secret until 1992.

Why he might not be annoying:

His mother was an alcoholic and he was beaten and emotionally abused as a child.
He was the first openly gay reporter for a mainstream newspaper.
He kept his HIV-status secret because, 'Every gay writer who tests positive ends up being an AIDS activist. I wanted to keep on being a reporter.'
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force leader David Smith said, 'He broke through society's denial and was absolutely critical in communicating the reality of AIDS.'
The American Society of Journalists and Authors named him the Outstanding Author of 1988.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Allegedly Gay Men
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 02]
• Entertainment Weekly's 100 Best Books [1983-2008] (Ranked: 86)
• Golden Retriever Owners
• I am an Iowan
• I am from San Francisco
• I Attended University of Oregon
• I Died in 1994 (Ranked: 42)
• I Have AIDS/HIV
• I Married in 1993
• Life Magazine's 50 Most Influential Baby Boomers (Ranked: 23)
• Look at Me and My Pet
• Mental Floss' 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years [2009] (Ranked: 1)
• My Spouse is at Least Ten Years Younger than Me
• Profiles 19501-19750 (Ranked: 19680)
• Rainbow Honor Walk Inductees [San Francisco] (Ranked: 2014)
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 19940217)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 25 Votes: 92.00% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 21 Votes: 52.38% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 24 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 91 Votes: 63.74% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 58 Votes: 70.69% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 57 Votes: 64.91% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 48 Votes: 47.92% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 30 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 76 Votes: 61.84% Annoying