In the coming weeks, state Senator Mark Leno's (D-San Francisco) bill establishing Harvey Milk Day is expected to reach Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. This time, he must sign that bill.
Of course, Schwarzenegger should have signed the Equality California-sponsored bill last year when Leno passed it in the Legislature. At the time, the movie Milk was just about to be released and the state was in the throes of the Proposition 8 campaign (we all know how that turned out). What puzzled us then was Schwarzenegger's veto message that said Milk's "contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level ...."
While there are many tributes to Milk in San Francisco, where he served on the Board of Supervisors, it's people elsewhere in California that need to learn of Milk's life, accomplishments, and sacrifices.
The Milk bill calls for a "day of special significance" for Milk and seeks to educate Californians about the former San Francisco supervisor, who was the nation's first openly gay person elected to political office in a major city. It does not call for a paid state holiday and will not adversely affect the state budget.
Since the governor issued his veto message last year, Milk's stature has only increased. Sean Penn won an Oscar for his portrayal of Milk in last year's film. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama posthumously honored Milk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor. And just this week, Schwarzenegger and his wife, first lady Maria Shriver, announced that Milk will be inducted into the California Museum's California Hall of Fame in honor of his work to advance the civil rights for the LGBT community.
Does this latest development portend favorably for Leno's Milk bill? We're not sure, because last week the Office of the Secretary of Education issued a letter opposing SB 572, the Milk Day bill. Unbelievably, Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither, the undersecretary of education, stated that last year's veto message from the governor "remains applicable."
"You'd think they would retire that quote," Leno told us. Yes, you would think that. You might also wonder, when the governor is decimating state services left and right, including tens of millions from the state Office of AIDS, why we even need a state education secretary, considering we have an elected, nonpartisan state superintendent of public instruction. But we digress.
The governor's decision to include Milk in the museum's hall of fame certainly should not end up with him vetoing the legislation. If anything, the move is all the more reason to sign the bill in order to recognize and support the values Milk embodied. If Milk is significant enough to be inducted into the state museum's hall of fame – which he is – surely he is deserving of the day of significance articulated in the bill. Those who support Leno's effort can visit www.eqca.org/harveymilkday and sign EQCA's petition to the governor. Schwarzenegger also is apparently soliciting feedback via Twitter at http://twitter.com/schwarzenegger. The recent dustup over homophobe Randy Thomasson's appearance in front of San Francisco City Hall denouncing Milk – on the very day he was awarded the Medal of Freedom – is an excellent example of why this bill is needed. As Leno said, LGBT people live "with this outrageous disrespect and denigration on a daily basis."
Leno said that the governor can stand with the extreme right and religious zealots "or he can stand with the leadership of Barack Obama."
The governor needs to do this year what he declined to do last year. When SB 572 arrives on his desk, he must sign it.