California, other states honor Harvey Milk

May 24, 2010

As posted by Lisa Leff of the Associated Press:

 

"Events were taking place in California and across the country Saturday in observance of Harvey Milk, marking the first day of 'special significance' in the West Coast state to honor the slain gay rights leader.

"Along with concerts, political fundraisers and rallies in California, commemorative Harvey Milk Day events were planned in 20 other states on what would have been his 80th birthday.

... "'The creation of the first official day of recognition for any openly gay person in the history of this country has really touched people, many of whom have been closeted in life or faced rejection or government discrimination which continues to this day,' said Geoffrey Kors, executive director of the gay rights group Equality California.

"Milk was the first openly gay man to win elected office in a major U.S. city. He was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall by former supervisor Dan White.

... "The range of activities planned in his memory - concerts, voter canvassing to repeal California's freedom to marry ban, and students at some schools handing out malted milk balls and Milk Duds - speaks to Milk's singularly iconic place in gay rights history and the public's continued polarization on gay rights issues.

"Demonstrations in St. Louis, Savannah, Ga., Fulton, Miss., and other cities are aimed at putting pressure on Congress to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military and to pass a law protecting gays and transgender people from job discrimination."