Sean Penn in the title role in Milk.

THIS ISSUE > ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > DVD

No need to go into specifics about the biopic portraying the final years of slain champion of equality Harvey Milk; those details have been hashed and rehashed. Rather, Milk's back story serves as a delicious side dish to the entrée that is the film.

Released on DVD and Blu-ray disc moments after the film toted away a couple of of Oscars, Milk 's glorious bonus features remind us that in 1977, Harvey Milk was indeed the first gay man elected to major public office, but not the first gay person. That distinction belongs to Elaine Noble, an out lesbian who served two terms in Massachusetts' House of Representatives starting in January 1975.

Note, too, that Harvey Milk lost three elections before he hired lesbian Ann Kronenberg to manage his successful—and final—campaign for city supervisor. Bonus feature interviews with Harvey Milk's real-life friends including Kronenberg (who, by the way, is a stone hottie), Rainbow Flag designer Gilbert Baker, and others, make Milk spring to life.

But it's an interview with The NAMES Project AIDS quilt creator Cleve Jones that poses deeper questions. Based on what we know about many gay men in the late 1970s, chances are good that Harvey Milk may have already been infected with HIV at the time of his death. Would he have been remembered as the hero he is today if his death had come from a virus instead of a bullet? Without Harvey Milk, would our community have been able to rally together against AIDS the very next decade? Did Harvey's resolve and message of hope prepare us to be able to fight—and survive—what was coming?

Anita Bryant and California's Proposition 6 originally organized conservatives against gay equality, 30 years ago. Now with Prop 8, they're still singing the same song. And so are we.

Watch Milk. Listen closely to those who knew him. Rewind. Watch again. This is our history, and it bears repeating.

2008. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (universalstudioshomeentertainment.com).
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DVD/VHS Shorts

Clandestinos
Xabi (Israel Rodríguez) is a young gay terrorist intent on proving himself to his older mentor and lover, who is also a terrorist. Logo couldn't broadcast this unrated and unedited version, so it must be steamy. Antonio Hens directs. Spanish with English subtitles. • 2007. TLA Releasing (tlareleasing.com).

Mulligans
Not only is Derek's (Tyler Davidson) best friend, Chase (Charlie David) gay, but also his father is experiencing his own coming-out crisis in this comedy set on the golf links. Thea Gill (Queer as Folk) also stars. Chip Hale directs. April 21. • 2008. Wolfe Video (wolfevideo.com).

A Secret (Un Secret)
Julie Depardieu (Gérard's daughter) plays a lesbian photographer in this film about a young man learning the details of his Jewish family's survival in Vichy France during World War II. Written and directed by Claude Miller. French with English subtitles. • 2007. Strand Releasing (strandreleasing.com).

November Son
Judith O'Dea, who starred in the 1968 horror classic, Night of the Living Dead, pops up again in this sequel to October Moon about why family members should support their gay relatives. Jason Paul Collum directs. April 14. • 2008. Ariztical Entertainment (ariztical.com).

What's Up, Scarlet?
Sally Kirkland stars in this comedy as the controlling mother to a lesbian who doesn't know she's a lesbian until her pothead brother puts the moves on her bohemian actress friend. Anthony Caldarella directs. • 2005. Ariztical Entertainment (ariztical.com).

South Park: The Complete Twelfth Season
This year Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Eric would be entering their 20s if animation time were real time. Thank goodness, it's not. Includes “Eek, A Penis!,” Mrs. Garrison's rude but hysterical transformation back into Mr. Garrison, plus plenty of bonus features. • Comedy Central (comedycentral.com).

Rick & Steve: The Complete Second Season
Everything that is unattractive about gay men and lesbians is played big in the second season of Logo's infantile yet inexplicably popular animated series. Margaret Cho and Mark Hamill guest star. Q. Allan Brocka directs. • 2008. Paramount Home Entertainment (paramount.com).