Bill designating 'Harvey Milk Day' draws fireStory Highlights

CNN) -- Amid conservative opposition, a bill that would designate a day of "significance" in California for slain gay politician Harvey Milk is heading to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
The legislation would denote May 22 -- Milk's birthday -- as a day of significance across the state.
The governor's office said Tuesday it had received more than 100,000 constituent phone calls about the bill, although it was not immediately clear if most were in favor of it or opposed. The governor's office said Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on it yet.
Milk, the state's first openly gay elected official, served briefly as San Francisco's supervisor before he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in 1978.
Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill last year, saying he believed Milk "should be continued to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted by his contributions."
State Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat who authored the current bill as well as last year's, said in a written statement that the governor had "contradicted" his veto message by announcing that the gay rights icon will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
***********004276]Milk[/COLOR] was a "unique" historical figure who led a civil rights movement and then was "assassinated in his public office for being who he was," Leno said.In a perfect world, we'd have a state holiday for him, like [the Rev.] Martin Luther King Jr. or Cesar Chavez," Leno said in a telephone interview.
But the California state finances are in such "disarray ... we think it's appropriate in light of our fiscal crisis" to have a special day of significance that won't cost the state anything, said Leno, whose district includes portions of San Francisco.
That way, he said, Milk is still afforded "the respect that he's due."
The day of significance would not close schools or state offices, according to its text.
However, Randy Thomasson, the president of SaveCalifornia.com, said the bill was vague and could allow for a number of things at schools, including gay pride parades or "mock gay weddings."
"There's no definition in the bill," he said. "There is absolutely no limit to what could occur on campuses and go into little children's brains."
"Harvey Milk was a terrible role model for children," Thomasson said. His organization plans to oppose the bill through automatic phone calls, e-mails, media interviews and news conferences, he added.
Leno said that claims that the bill would lead to schools holding gay-pride parades and similar activities were "hyperbole."
The bill "mandates nothing," he said, although it certainly "affords an educational opportunity."
President Obama also posthumously honored Milk with a Presidential Medal of Freedom this year, and Sean Penn portrayed him in this year's film "Milk," which garnered him an Oscar for best actor.

 

Only in California. In conservative circles it comes straight from a horror story.

 

Harvey Milk was an American Hero, the only question is how long anyone will cling the backwards thinking that denies it.

 

Why is he a hero? Because the Huffington post says so?

 

What kind of question is that? Milk was killed long before there was a Huffington post.

Milk stood up for human rights, he was brave enough to run for public office despite being part of a minority group that was largely hated throughout the country, and paved the way for the acceptance of members of that group that we take for granted today. We wouldn't have a Barney Frank if there hadn't been a Harvey Milk. He was a community activist who helped to create a safe, harmonious, diverse and welcoming environment for people who elsewhere were being beaten, killed and generally mistreated just for the way they were born into this world. While in office, he successfully worked for legislation that made his city more representative of the ideals of fairness and equality that this nation has been striving towards since its inception. He stood up for the rights of all people, and is remembered by many different segments of society today that he touched, including the teamsters. His idealism and dedication to service and improving the life of his fellow citizens stands as an inspiration to all who believe in progress for our great nation.

I figure that's a start to explaining why he's a hero. I dunno what Huffington Post says. They probably say much more, and do so more eloquently than I.

 

I think you young black guys are losing your way with these gay agendas.
Remember how "they" turned on blacks for voting for prop 8. They compare their struggle to blacks and the bottomline is that a White Gay male has more power that a young black male.

 

CBQ is a WW.

 

I remember that some gay people said that Black people turned on gay people by voting for prop 8, and then some Black people said gay people turned on them with their reactions. I remember stupid people on both sides, and sad, disappointed people on both sides. It sucked.

What about a young gay black male? Where are they left? What power do they have? Should they have the right to sleep with their lifelong partner without police breaking down the door and arresting them both? Harvey Milk thought so. Should they have the right to work without being fired for something private, consensual and totally unrelated to work performance? Harvey Milk thought so? Did they, and everyone else they worked with, deserve basic workers rights? Milk thought so as well.

I never got the concept that gay was something white people do. I've known too many Black gay men and Black lesbians and Black bisexual men and women to buy that. They deserve a voice in this too, and their lives were made better by people like Harvey Milk.

 

When do police break gay people's door?

 

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-police-raid-gay-136646.html


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...009/08/28/tabc_fires_agents_from_fort_wo.html

 

Until just a few years ago, there were states where it was illegal to sleep with a member of your own gender, even in the privacy of your own home.

During Harvey Milk's day, it was not completely rare for police to raid people's homes on suspicion of homosexual activity. Lucky people just got evicted if the landlord became suspicious. That was the kind of injustice he fought against.