Harvey Milk vs. Ronald Reagan

California politicians certainly have a sense of irony. Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that recognized May 22 as Harvey Milk Day, a special state day in California where communities will take the extra effort to commemorate the legacy of Harvey Milk, the fallen San Francisco City Supervisor and gay rights leader who was one of the first openly gay politicians in the country.

This week, the California State Senate moved unanimously to create another state day, this time recognizing a politician from the exact opposite end of the political spectrum from Milk — Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was a California governor before he became President, and in many respects it's hard to argue with the idea behind creating a day — February 6, to be exact — to honor a former President. But the paradox between Harvey Milk and Ronald Reagan could not be starker.

Milk was a champion of equal rights for all, appealing to both LGBT and straight voters in an effort to confront police violence, workplace discrimination, and labor violations. He helped defeat a ballot measure that would have banned openly gay people from serving as public school teachers, and his work inspired scores of youth to get involved in politics to demand equality, marching for their rights and coming out of the closets.

Reagan, meanwhile, road to the White House on the backs of the "Moral Majority," launching the careers and political influence of anti-gay evangelical ministers like Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Armageddon theologian Hal Lindsey. During his 1980 campaign, Reagan said in a campaign speech, "My criticism is that [the gay movement] isn't just asking for civil rights; it's asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I."

And then who can forget that it took Reagan more than five years to mention HIV/AIDS in public, after scores of gay men died amidst government inaction and bureaucracy that makes the United Nations look like a well-oiled machine. Indeed, by the time Reagan mentioned HIV/AIDS in a public address, upwards of 59,572 AIDS cases had been reported, though government funding of HIV/AIDS programs was continuously cut.

Openly gay artist Keith Haring once wrote that Silence = Death. In the case of Reagan, it sure did.

Again, it might not be worth crying foul over California legislators moving to recognize Ronald Reagan Day. Former Presidents are often revered, no matter their troubles or problems. Heck, even President Andrew Johnson has a museum, and he was loathed by most of the country.

But if we're going to call every 6th of February Ronald Reagan Day, it would be wise to remember the legacy of the 40th president in all its capacities. And for tens of thousands of LGBT people, Reagan did some pretty bad, bad things, as Chris Isaak might say.

And therein lies the paradox of recognizing Harvey Milk, and then subsequently recognizing Ronald Reagan. While Harvey Milk eschewed a system of politics that rewarded the machine, and demanded that everyone be given equal rights ("all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential..."), Reagan was all too the political animal. The price of that was remaining silent in the face of the HIV/AIDS genocide, and merging the modern day Republican Party with the religious right that to this day maintains a homophobic grasp on GOP politics.

Sure, let's go ahead and recognize Ronald Reagan Day. Let's just make sure we're not sugar-coating his legacy, either.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons