Reich Wingers up in arms over proposed Harvey Milk Day in CA

from the Los Angeles Times:




Proposed Harvey Milk Day creates quite a stir
The proposal to honor the slain gay rights pioneer passes the Legislature. Conservatives are calling on Gov. Schwarzenegger to veto it.

By Eric Bailey
September 4, 2009


Reporting from Sacramento - The legacy of Harvey Milk has had a very good year.

Three decades after California's first openly gay elected leader was gunned down in San Francisco City Hall, Milk has been celebrated by an Oscar-winning film, named to the state Hall of Fame and lauded by President Obama.

But despite those posthumous accolades, a legislative push to create a day of recognition for Milk became one of the most contentious issues in the Capitol this year. The proposal, which passed the Legislature on Thursday, is among more than a dozen gay rights bills offered in the aftermath of Proposition 8, last November's ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in California.

Also on Thursday, the Assembly passed a bill that steps back onto Proposition 8 turf: It would require California to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states before the initiative passed. The Senate passed another bill that would expand protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prison inmates. And lawmakers had already approved a resolution calling on Congress to repeal the decade-old Defense of Marriage Act.

One proposal before the Legislature would let transgender Californians alter their birth certificates to reflect a new identity. Others address property rights, employment issues and AIDS. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gay-rights4-2009sep04,0,1485531.story

:kick: