Baptist Press recently reported the following:

California lawmakers are discussing the possibility of setting aside May 22 each year as a “day of special significance” honoring Harvey Milk, an openly homosexual San Francisco alderman whose murder in 1978 made him an icon of the “gay rights” movement.

While the observance would not be an official holiday, the bill encourages schools to teach about Milk’s legacy — a fact that hasn’t escaped California citizens concerned about the agenda homosexual activists have for California public schools. The proposal would not require parental consent for mandatory student participation.

The text of SB 572 states: “On Harvey Milk Day, exercises remembering the life of Harvey Milk and recognizing his accomplishments as well as the contributions he made to this state” should be conducted; specifically, “all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to observe … and … conduct suitable commemorative exercises.”

A Southern Baptist pastor in San Diego told Baptist Press he believes the vague wording of the bill opens the door to almost any kind of “gay pride” observance in which even kindergartners could be required to participate…

“The bill is going to amend the education code to include Harvey Milk Day on May 22. It says, ‘It is the intent of the legislature that the exercises encouraged in this section be integrated into the regular school program and be conducted by the school or institution within the amount otherwise budgeted for educational programs,'” said Chris Clark, pastor of East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church. “What that means is that if there’s money to do it, the school can do whatever they would like to commemorate Harvey Milk Day. The imagination can kind of run wild with that. There’s really nothing that would restrict or narrowly define what they could or could not do.”

SB 572 is currently in the State Assembly and is expected to pass and appear on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk for a second time (he vetoed it last year already, but is under a lot of pressure to pass it this year).

If you would like to share your concern about this bill with the governor, simply click here. I don’t like the “angry, offended and motivated” opening line of the form letter, but this can be easily edited into something more respectful of our state leaders. We’re blessed to live in a country that still permits freedom of speech and conscience, and should exercise this liberty on issues that concern us.