California governor kills Harvey Milk bill in nod to right-wing bigots

California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have honored the late gay activist Harvey Milk. Bowing to right wing anti-gay forces, Schwarzenegger issued a patronizing statement, saying Milk’s “contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level.”

Harvey Milk

Known as the Harvey Milk bill, AB 2567 would have made Milk’s birthday, May 22, a “day of special significance” in the state of California. The legislation would have encouraged public schools and other educational institutions to commemorate the day in remembrance of Milk’s life and his impact on the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

Milk became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office when he joined the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977. A letter from a 68-year-old lesbian to Milk, quoted in “Time 100” list of key figures of the 20th century, summed up the significance of Milk’s victory in the struggle to overcome LGBT oppression: “Thank god, I have lived long enough to see my kind emerge from the shadows and join the human race.”

In 1978, Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by city supervisor Dan White, a right-wing, racist, anti-gay ex-police officer. The defense’s argument that White suffered from extreme depression—as his purported consumption of sweets allegedly demonstrated—became infamously known as the “Twinkie Defense.”

When White’s hate crime resulted in a light sentence for voluntary manslaughter rather than murder, San Francisco’s LGBT community in exploded in fury in what became known as the White Night Riots. All at once, the community’s bottled-up anger at a system that continually brutalized and oppressed LGBT people burst out.

The fact that even the mostly symbolic Harvey Milk bill could be shot down only underscores the continued need to fight bigotry and discrimination. Schwarzenegger’s veto is a slap in the face to those struggling for LGBT equality.

Milk’s political success propelled the struggle for LGBT participation not only in the electoral arena, but also in other spheres of society where LGBT people had been historically shunned. Milk instilled a deep sense of pride in the community, and paid with his life for his courageous struggle.

Unlike Schwarzenegger would like us to believe, Milk’s legacy extends far beyond San Francisco, and should be remembered by all those who profess to believe in equality and justice.