May 22 now ‘Harvey Milk Day’ in California by California Catholic Daily

May 22 now ‘Harvey Milk Day’ in California

By California Catholic Daily 2009-10-12

Schwarzenegger signs bill requiring schools to honor homosexual rights activist

In a last minute flurry of bill signing and vetoing, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday signed into law a measure designating May 22 as an unpaid state holiday in honor of Harvey Milk. Milk was a homosexual rights activist assassinated in 1978 while serving as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and May 22 is his birthday.

Schwarzenegger’s action, taken in the last hours of the last day for the governor to act on bills sent to him from the legislature, represents a complete turnabout for the governor, who last year vetoed a nearly identical measure. At the time, Schwarzenegger said Harvey Milk celebrations were more appropriate at the local level, but not statewide. There was no immediate explanation from the governor’s office on the reason for Schwarzenegger’s change of heart.

Reaction from opponents of the bill – SB 572 – was quick. "Harvey Milk was a sexual predator of teens, an advocate of polygamous relationships, a public liar, and is in no way a good role model for impressionable schoolchildren," said Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, in a statement released this morning. "Sadly, children in public schools will now have even more in-your-face, homosexual-bisexual-transsexual indoctrination. This provides the strongest impetus yet for loving parents to remove their children from anti-family public schools."

"We don't know why the governor suddenly changed his mind and decided to impose a radical social agenda in every classroom," said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource, a pro-family lobbying group in Sacramento. "One possible explanation is the influence of the governor's Hollywood friends. After a biopic on Milk received Academy Award recognition earlier this year, Hollywood political activists began lobbying the governor to sign the resurrected Harvey Milk Day bill. It seems that the governor places more value in the opinion of his Hollywood friends and their values than the values of the people who voted him into office."

SB 572 requires the governor to “proclaim May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, and would designate that date as having special significance in public schools and educational institutions and would encourage those entities to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on that date.”

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	William H. wrote on November 5th, 2009 Seems divisive. The beneficiaries of Harvey Milk Day may not be gays, or those opposing gay rights, but those who might benefit from a conflict between the two. Apparently a theme in the movie(now the default public memory of Harvey Milk) is violenc... more Seems divisive. The beneficiaries of Harvey Milk Day may not be gays, or those opposing gay rights, but those who might benefit from a conflict between the two. Apparently a theme in the movie(now the default public memory of Harvey Milk) is violence against gays, and Harvey Milk is known primarily as the guy who was killed because he was gay. The reality is that Dan White, the guy who killed Milk had no clear anti-gay agenda(he voted against an Ordinance prohibiting anti-gay housing and employment discrimination), and had a history of unstable behavior from the time he was kicked out of a public school for violent behavior. White's intention was to kill the four politicians who prevented him from getting his city supervisor seat back, not to kill a couple politicians and a gay guy. Why not just choose a general gay rights day, or choose someone without the misleading and confusing tag of gay martyr? Milk was one of many fighting for gay rights, so focusing on him tends to silence or obfuscate genuine debate/discussion on the issue. Again, those who benefit from the conflict could be the only beneficiaries. report abuse
	Lydia D. wrote on November 5th, 2009 Cody, you will have to prove their contribution, there is plenty of proof for their hatred. Oh by the way, Christ Himself was told that He was un-Christ like that's why he was crucified, for standing up for the truth. He was doing His Father'... more Cody, you will have to prove their contribution, there is plenty of proof for their hatred. Oh by the way, Christ Himself was told that He was un-Christ like that's why he was crucified, for standing up for the truth. He was doing His Father's Will, but gays are not doing the Father's Will, those who act on their gay impulses are doing the same thing as poor weak murderers, pedophiles, robbers and others who just cannot control their inborn weaknesses. That's why it makes sense for them to throw out the Ten Commandments and remove Crucifixes, because these unsettle their poor souls. Only they seem to have rights these days, but then the people of God never did have any rights and have always been fighting to remain faithful to God. report abuse
	Ramiro & Lucy R. wrote on November 3rd, 2009 Our schools want God out! Why? To make room for immorality? report abuse
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