California Marks Harvey Milk Day On His 80th Birthday

California is gearing up to observe its first day of “special significance” honoring Harvey Milk on what would have been the slain gay rights leader’s 80th birthday.

Over the objections of some fellow Republicans, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last year establishing May 22 as an annual holiday of sorts. The measure simply encourages public schools to conduct commemorative activities in Milk’s honor.

Only a handful of schools are doing that Friday. But rallies, concerts and fundraisers are among the Milk Day events planned for Saturday in California and 20 other states.

Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city. He was serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when he was assassinated along with the mayor by a former colleague.

Meantime, Kern County’s 24 high schools will not be observing the first statewide day of remembrance honoring the late gay rights hero Harvey Milk.

The Kern High School District school board adopted a policy on Wednesday night stating the district would neither commemorate Harvey Milk Day nor encourage its schools to hold activities in Milk’s memory. The vote was 3-1, with one abstention.