Harvey Milk Day – May 22nd
What! Harvey Milk Day is a day to educate Californians about an extraordinary leader whose courageous work to end discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the 1970’s set the stage for many of the civil rights advances we see today.
Who! Harvey Milk was an activist, organizer, and the first openly gay man elected to public office in the country as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the late 1970’s.
Resources for Teachers! The California Safe Schools coalition, GSA Network, and Our Family Coalition have come together to create a website for educators to access curriculum about Harvey Milk. www.safeschoolscoalition.org/harveymilkday
What is the law! In 2009, the State of California officially designated May 22 as “Harvey Milk Day.” Education Code section 37222 now recognizes May 22 as Harvey Milk Day, and says that ‘public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to observe those days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises…remembering the life of Harvey Milk, recognizing his accomplishments and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state.’
Website Resources!
Equality California eqca.org
GLSEN glsen.org
GSA Network gsanetwork.org
Lambda Legal lambdalegal.org
PFLAG pflag.org
Safe Schools Coalition safeschoolscoalition.org
The Trevor Project trevorproject.org
Think Before You Speak thinkb4youspeak.org
Prepared for you by Alyson Brauning
Redwood Service Center Chair
Vacaville Teachers Association Equity Team Chair
