BILL NUMBER: HR 41	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Atkins
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Gordon, Lara, and John A.
Pérez)

                        AUGUST 20, 2012

   Relative to Harvey Milk.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, Harvey Bernard Milk was born on May 22, 1930, in
Woodmere, New York. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors of the
City and County of San Francisco in 1977. He was the first openly
gay man to be elected to public office in a major city of the United
States. He was assassinated in 1978 at San Francisco's City Hall by a
political rival. Perhaps more than any other modern figure, Harvey
Milk's life and political career embody the rise of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement in
California, across the nation, and throughout the world; and
   WHEREAS, As an openly gay leader, Harvey Milk encouraged LGBT
individuals to be visible in society. During the Gay Freedom Day
Parade of June 25, 1978, he told the crowd, "Gay people, we will not
win their rights by staying quietly in our closets"; and
   WHEREAS, Harvey Milk's legacy as a civil rights leader is still
felt today. Harvey Milk was named one of TIME Magazine's most
influential people of the 20th century. Many institutions and
organizations are named for Harvey Milk, including the Harvey Milk
Recreational Arts Center, the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, the
Harvey Milk Institute, the Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch
Library, and the Harvey Milk Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender
Democratic Club in San Francisco; and
   WHEREAS, In 2009, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk. The State of California
has designated May 22 annually as "Harvey Milk Day," and Harvey Milk
has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame; and
   WHEREAS, The Harvey Milk Foundation, the International Court
Council, and the GLBT Historic Task Force of San Diego have been
leaders in raising awareness of the contributions of Harvey Milk by,
among other efforts, urging the Postmaster General of the United
States to issue a commemorative stamp honoring Harvey Milk; and
   WHEREAS, Harvey Milk's life and social contributions have left an
indelible mark on the history of our nation and hold a special
meaning for the people of California; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly urges the Postmaster General of the United States to issue a
commemorative stamp honoring Harvey Milk and his work in the LGBT
movement for civil rights and equality; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States, to the
Postmaster General of the United States, and to the author for
appropriate distribution.