The lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenred (LGBT) movement sred two historic victori California the late 1970s. Dpe difficult odds, the movement succeed electg Harvey Milk as the first openly gay male ndidate to polil office the untry. The electn of Harvey Milk to the San Francis Board of Supervisors took place at time when anti-gay ballot iativ were beg approved by large majori of voters stat across the untry. Furthermore, the LGBT liberatn movement succeed featg an anti-gay ballot iative California 1978, Proposn 6. Based on extensive primary source rearch, this this argu that certa historil ndns, which activists had ltle ntrol over, ma the victori possible, namely, the prott movements and radilizatn of the 1960s, the massive migratn of LGBT people to San Francis, and the tablishment of district-based electns rather than cy-wi electns for the San Francis Board of Supervisors. California Senator John Briggs also ma the mistake of wrg Proposn 6 a way that most California voters regard as too extreme. In addn, activists ed progrsive left-wg strategi that proved to be cisive electg Milk and featg Proposn 6. Specifilly, LGBT activists formed alns wh unns, low-e workers, and opprsed groups, they anized visible mass monstratns, and thoands of LGBT me out of the closet and directly nonted the homophobic arguments of their opponents. Historians and rporate media outlets give much of the cred for shiftg public opn agast Proposn 6 to high profile policians and media outlets. However, this this monstrat that grassroots activists played the lead role shiftg public opn agast the iative, not the tablished policians or rporate media outlets.
Contents:
- CALIFORNIA TRIED TO BAN GAY TEACHERS 1978. EDUTORS AND ACTIVISTS WHO FOUGHT BACK FEAR HISTORY MAY BE REPEATG SELF.
- CALIFORNIA PROPOSN 6, BAN ON LBIAN AND GAY TEACHERS INIATIVE (1978)
CALIFORNIA TRIED TO BAN GAY TEACHERS 1978. EDUTORS AND ACTIVISTS WHO FOUGHT BACK FEAR HISTORY MAY BE REPEATG SELF.
Proposn 6, better known as the Briggs Iniative, was the first attempt to rtrict the rights of lbian and gay Amerins by popular referendum. * prop 6 gay rights *
Most recently, feral “Don’t Say Gay” legislatn was troduced by thirty-two Congrsnal members, a bill that “would affect all ferally fund facili and programs, which would clu public librari, ferally fund schools, ary bas and hospals. It was overwhelmgly succsful, and Bryant began to advote natnally agast lbian and gay rights. The next year John Briggs, a California bsman and member of the state legislature, troduced what would be known as Proposn 6, or the Briggs Iniative: the first attempt to rtrict the rights of lbian and gay Amerins by popular referendum.
If passed, teachers who were found to have taken part “public homosexual activy” or “public homosexual nduct” would be fired, where “public homosexual nduct” was fed as:. “the advotg, solicg, imposg, enuragg or promotg of private or public homosexual activy directed at, or likely to e to the attentn of schoolchildren and/or other employe. Advertisement agast Proposn 6, an iative sponsored by State Senator John Briggs to expel gay and lbian teachers via JSTOR.
For the reasons the state fds a pellg tert refg to employ and termatg the employment of a schoolteacher, teacher’s ai, school admistrator or unselor, subject to reasonable rtrictns and qualifitns, who engag public homosexual activy and/or public homosexual nduct directed at, or likely to e to the attentn of, schoolchildren or other school employe.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSN 6, BAN ON LBIAN AND GAY TEACHERS INIATIVE (1978)
The people who helped feat the Briggs Iniative told Insir they fear a recent rise anti-gay rhetoric means history may be repeatg self. * prop 6 gay rights *
5 is to proscribe employment of a person whose homosexual activi or nduct are termed to renr him or her unf for service. 6 (a) The erng board of a school district shall refe to hire as an employee any person who has engaged public homosexual activy or public homosexual nduct should the board terme that said activy or nduct renrs the person unf for service.