Harvey Milk Day proclaimed in O.C.

2013-05-23 21:44:02

FULLERTON – A quest by gay activists for recognition of Harvey Milk's birthday in Orange County began in confrontation, progressed to misunderstanding and culminated happily at a celebratory event Thursday at Cal State Fullerton.

Shawn Nelson, chairman of Orange County's Board of Supervisors, received a standing ovation as he presented a proclamation honoring Milk, the pioneering gay elected official who was murdered in 1978 in San Francisco, where he was a member of that city's Board of Supervisors.

While it was the first time Harvey Milk Day was proclaimed by Orange County's supervisors, Nelson told the crowd: "I hope the significance becomes that it shouldn't be that significant.

"The sad part is I know that it matters so much to you folks because it's not where you've been."

Civic disagreements should be over matters such as how many stories a building can have or whether a road should be widened and not about sexual orientation, he said.

"What in the world does a person's sexuality have to do with the good, fun issues that we can tear each other up over?" he asked, provoking laughter.

Relations between the gay community and county supervisors haven't always been so lighthearted. In 2011, when about half a dozen activists spoke at a supervisors meeting to request recognition for Milk's birthday, they were met with stony silence.

A year later, the same scenario was repeated, but this time Nelson reached out to the activists to explain how to go about getting on a list of proclamations that is approved by the supervisors each December for the following year.

Last December, Milk's name was added to the list without commotion.

Then, as Milk's birthday rolled around this week, the gay activists noticed that the board's agenda didn't include any mention of Milk or a proclamation.

Fearing they were being duped or snubbed, Linda May of Silverado, a founder of the Orange County Equality Coalition, began an online petition to demand the supervisors' attention.

What really happened was that Nelson, who takes a hyper-efficient approach to running board meetings, became chairman this year. There was no snub; it's just that under Nelson, almost no proclamations are issued at board meetings.

Before the misunderstanding could provoke the activists to troop down to the supervisors meeting on Tuesday to again confront the board, Nelson called May and offered to bring the proclamation to them.

Nelson "was really quite sympathetic and understanding," May said.

"It says a lot for a Republican county that they're acknowledging us being here, the gay community," Desi Reyes of Santa Ana said.

Nelson, in an interview, said he'd heard complaints from a few "self-appointed political groups" who were "pretty bent out of shape that I'm here."

An advocate of small government, Nelson dislikes proclamations, but if they must be issued, he believes it's better to "go love the people on their turf." The time constraints of a board meeting make the interactions between the supervisors and those accepting proclamations short and stilted, and the audience is limited to mostly county staffers, he said.

Chatting before the formal presentation, May told Nelson she didn't completely agree with him on that point. "To me, it's a thrill for some people to go to that environment and get it there," she said. "But I see your point. I think more people see it here."

Later, as she introduced Nelson to the crowd, May lauded him for "the courage and fairness he has demonstrated."

Contact the writer: agalvin@ocregister.com

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