1978 California Proposition 6

Last updated

California Proposition 6
November 7, 1978
Restricts gays and lesbians from working in California's public schools.
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes2,823,29341.57%
Light brown x.svg No3,969,12058.43%
Valid votes6,792,41395.24%
Invalid or blank votes339,7974.76%
Total votes7,132,210100.00%
Registered voters/turnout70.41%
1978 California Proposition 6 results map by county.svg
County results
Yes:     50–60%     60–70%
No:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

California Proposition 6, informally known as the Briggs Initiative, [1] was an unsuccessful ballot initiative put to a referendum on the California state ballot in the November 7, 1978 election. [2] It was sponsored by John Briggs, a conservative state legislator from Orange County. The failed initiative sought to ban gays and lesbians from working in California's public schools.

Contents

Openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk and Sally Miller Gearhart, as well as many other gay and lesbian activists of the time were instrumental in fighting the measure. Opposition to the proposition from a variety of public figures such as then former California Governor Ronald Reagan to President Jimmy Carter helped to swing public opinion against it.

Background

Singer and Florida Citrus Commission spokesperson Anita Bryant received national news coverage for her successful efforts to repeal a Dade County, Florida, ordinance preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation. This success sparked additional efforts to repeal legislation that added sexual orientation or preference as a protected group to anti-discrimination statutes and codes. In a step beyond repeal of anti-discrimination measures, Oklahoma and Arkansas banned gays and lesbians from teaching in public schools. [3] [4] The idea for the Briggs Initiative was formed during the success of the repeal of the Dade County anti-discrimination language.

The measure was the first attempt to restrict gay and lesbian rights through a statewide ballot measure. [1]

Text

The initiative provided that a public school teacher, teacher's aide, administrator, or counselor could be fired if the employee was found to have engaged in either (1) "public homosexual activity," which the initiative defined as an act of homosexual sex which was "not discreet and not practiced in private, whether or not such act, at the time of its commission, constituted a crime," or (2) "public homosexual conduct," which the initiative defined as "the advocating, soliciting, imposing, encouraging or promoting of private or public homosexual activity directed at, or likely to come to the attention of, schoolchildren and/or other employees." [5]

The employee would be terminated if the school board, after a hearing, determined by a preponderance of the evidence that the employee had engaged in "public homosexual activity" or "public homosexual conduct" and "that said activity or conduct render[ed] the employee unfit for service." [5] The factors that the board would consider in the determination of "unfitness for service" would "include, but not be limited to: (1) the likelihood that the activity or conduct may adversely affect students or other employees; (2) the proximity or remoteness in time or location of the conduct to the employee's responsibilities; (3) the extenuating or aggravating circumstances which, in the judgment of the board, must be examined in weighing the evidence; and (4) whether the conduct included acts, words or deeds, of a continuing or comprehensive nature which would tend to encourage, promote or dispose schoolchildren toward private or public homosexual activity or private or public homosexual conduct." [6]

The initiative further provided that a person could not be hired as a public school teacher, teacher's aide, administrator, or counselor if the person had "engaged in public homosexual activity or public homosexual conduct should the board determine that said activity or conduct render[ed] the person unfit for service." [7]

Campaign

November 1978: Gay Solidarity Group supporters march in Sydney, Australia to protest the Briggs Initiative. Tribune negatives including Malcolm Fraser and gay solidarity march, Sydney, New South Wales, November 1978 (25678366327).jpg
November 1978: Gay Solidarity Group supporters march in Sydney, Australia to protest the Briggs Initiative.

A coalition of activists including Sally Gearhart, [8] Gwenn Craig, Bill Kraus, [9] openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, [10] teacher (later president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors) Tom Ammiano, and Hank Wilson mobilized under the slogan "Come out! Come out! Wherever you are!" to defeat the initiative. In what became the No On 6 campaign, gay men and lesbians went door to door in their cities and towns across the state to talk about the harm the initiative would cause.

Gay men and lesbians came out to their families and their neighbors and their co-workers, spoke in their churches and community centers, sent letters to their local editors, and otherwise revealed to the general population that gay people really were "everywhere" and included people they already knew and cared about. In the beginning of September, the ballot measure was ahead in public-opinion polls, with about 61% of voters supporting it while 31% opposed it. The movement against it initially succeeded little in shifting public opinion, even though major organizations and ecclesiastical groups opposed it. By the end of the month, however, the balance of the polls shifted to 45% in favor of the initiative, 43% opposed, and 12% undecided. [1]

A diverse group of politicians including Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown, Gerald Ford, and then-president Jimmy Carter all opposed the bill. [11]

Some gay Republicans also became organized against the initiative on a grassroots level. The most prominent of these, the Log Cabin Republicans, was founded in 1977 in California, as a rallying point for Republicans opposed to the Briggs Initiative. The Log Cabin Club then lobbied Republican officials to oppose the measure.

The former State Governor (and later US President) Ronald Reagan moved to publicly oppose the measure. Reagan issued an informal letter of opposition to the initiative, answered reporters' questions about the initiative by saying he was against, and, a week before the election, wrote an editorial in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner opposing it. [12] [13]

The timing of Reagan's opposition is significant because he was then preparing to run for president, a race in which he would need the support of conservatives and those moderates who were very uncomfortable with homosexual teachers. At that very moment, he was actively courting leaders from the religious right, including Jerry Falwell, who would go on to form the Moral Majority to fight out such culture war issues the following year. [14] As Reagan biographer Lou Cannon puts it, Reagan was “well aware that there were those who wanted him to duck the issue” but nevertheless “chose to state his convictions.” [15] Cannon reports that Reagan was “repelled by the aggressive public crusades against homosexual life styles which became a staple of right wing politics in the late 1970s.” [15] However, prominent LGBT activist David Mixner later noted how he secretly met with Reagan during this time and persuaded him to oppose the measure. [16] [17]

Extensive excerpts from his informal statement were reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle of September 24, 1978.[ citation needed ] Reagan's November 1 editorial stated, in part, “Whatever else it is, homosexuality is not a contagious disease like the measles. Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual's sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child's teachers do not really influence this.” [12]

While polls initially had showed support for the initiative leading by a large margin, it was defeated heavily following opposition by the gay community and prominent conservatives, moderates, and liberals alike. [18] [19]

Outcome

The initiative was defeated on November 7, 1978 and lost even in Briggs's own Orange County, at the time a conservative stronghold. [20]

Proposition 6
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No3,969,12058.4
Yes2,823,29341.6
Valid votes6,792,41395.3
Invalid or blank votes339,7974.7
Total votes7,132,210100.00

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ movements</span> Social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBTQ people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBTQ people and their interests, numerous LGBTQ rights organizations are active worldwide. The first organization to promote LGBTQ rights was the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, founded in 1897 in Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Milk</span> American gay rights activist (1930–1978)

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Oregon Ballot Measure 9</span> Referendum on gay rights

Oregon Ballot Measure 9 was a 1992 citizens' initiative concerning LGBT rights in the state of Oregon. It sought to amend the Oregon Constitution to prohibit anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation and to declare homosexuality to be "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse". Listing homosexuality alongside pedophilia and sadism and masochism, it has been described as one of the harshest anti-gay measures presented to voters in American history.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1978.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1992.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ward Connerly</span> American political activist and businessman (born 1939)

Wardell Anthony "Ward" Connerly is an American political and anti-affirmative action activist, businessman, and former University of California Regent (1993–2005). He is also the founder and the chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, a national non-profit organization in opposition to racial and gender preferences, and is the president of Californians for Equal Rights, a non-profit organization active in the state of California with a similar mission. He is considered to be the man behind California's Proposition 209 prohibiting race- and gender-based preferences in state hiring, contracting and state university admissions, a program known as affirmative action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Briggs (politician)</span> American politician (1930–2020)

John Vern Briggs was an American politician in the state of California. A Republican, he served in the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. He is perhaps best known for sponsoring Proposition 6 in 1978, also known as the Briggs Initiative, a failed measure which attempted to remove all gay or lesbian school employees or their supporters from their jobs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Mixner</span> American political activist and author (1946–2024)

David Benjamin Mixner was an American political activist and author. He was best known for his work in anti-war and gay rights advocacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Miller Gearhart</span> American novelist (1931–2021)

Sally Miller Gearhart was an American teacher, feminist, science-fiction writer, and political activist. In 1973, she became the first open lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position when she was hired by San Francisco State University, where she helped establish one of the first women and gender study programs in the country. She later became a nationally known gay rights activist.

<i>Milk</i> (2008 American film) 2008 film by Gus Van Sant

Milk is a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black, the film stars Sean Penn as Milk, Josh Brolin as Dan White, a city supervisor, and Victor Garber as San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Our Children</span> US anti-gay political coalition formed in 1977

Save Our Children, Inc. was an American political coalition formed in 1977 in Miami, Florida, to overturn a recently legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination in areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation based on sexual orientation. The coalition was publicly headed by celebrity singer Anita Bryant, who claimed the ordinance discriminated against her right to teach her children biblical morality. It was a well-organized campaign that initiated a bitter political fight between gay activists and Christian fundamentalists. When the repeal of the ordinance went to a vote, it attracted the largest response of any special election in Dade County's history, passing by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

"Gay Power, Gay Politics" is a 1980 episode of the American documentary television series CBS Reports. It was anchored by Harry Reasoner with reportage by George Crile. Crile also produced the episode with co-producer Grace Diekhaus. He conceived the show after becoming aware of the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights and took as his focus the 1979 San Francisco mayoral election. After intermittent shooting over several months in 1979 with the cooperation of prominent members of the city's LGBT community, CBS aired "Gay Power, Gay Politics" on April 26, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Milk Foundation</span> LGBTQ rights foundation

The Harvey Milk Foundation was founded in 2009 by Harvey Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, and Harvey's campaign manager and political aide, Anne Kronenberg, based on discussions held with the family and close Harvey Milk allies after Stuart received the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier that year. The organization continues to be headed by Stuart Milk and Anne Kronenberg and operates on a small, mostly private donor based, budget.

Jean Harris, born Kathie Jean Shafer, was an American Democratic and LGBT rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in San Francisco</span>

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) community in San Francisco is one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the United States, and is one of the most important in the history of American LGBT rights and activism alongside New York City. The city itself has been described as "the original 'gay-friendly city'". LGBT culture is also active within companies that are based in Silicon Valley, which is located within the southern San Francisco Bay Area.

The Sodomite Suppression Act, also known as the "Shoot The Gays Initiative" or "Kill The Gays Initiative", was a California ballot initiative proposed by Matt McLaughlin, an Orange County lawyer, that outlines seven measures relating to same-sex people engaging in sodomy including death for anyone who participates. McLaughlin's act calls for the killing of gays and lesbians by "bullets to the head" or "any other convenient method." This proposed initiative is subject to a court order barring it from being distributed for signatures after a Sacramento County judge granted California Attorney General Kamala Harris's request to declare the initiative facially unconstitutional and therefore ineligible to receive a ballot title or summary.

Eugene Local Measure 51 was a 1978 petition calling for a referendum in Eugene, Oregon, to repeal Ordinance no. 18080, which prohibited sexual orientation discrimination in the city. VOICE created and campaigned for the petition, and gathered enough signatures to force a referendum vote. Measure 51 passed with 22,898 votes for and 13,427 against. This bill's passage garnered national attention, with Miami anti-gay activist Anita Bryant's telegram congratulating VOICE on the victory. It is the earliest example of 35 ballot measures to limit gay rights in Oregon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rimmerman, Craig (November 2001). "From Identity to Politics: The Lesbian and Gay Movements in the United States". Temple University Press. ISBN   9781566399050 . Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  2. ↑ Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library. "Ballot Propositions June 1978 – June 1998". Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  3. ↑ Lipkin, Arthur (December 2000). "Understanding Homosexuality, Changing Schools". Westview Press. ISBN   9780813325354 . Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  4. ↑ Shilts, Randy (1988). "The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk". St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN   9780312019006 . Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  5. 1 2 For the full text of the initiative, see Secretary of State of California (1978). California Voters' Pamphlet (PDF). pp. 29, 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ Secretary of State of California (1978) , p. 41.
  7. ↑ Secretary of State of California (1978) , p. 29.
  8. ↑ Miller, Rachael; Rose, Rebecca; Kaushall, Justin Neville; LaBounty, Aimee (2007). "Guide to the Sally Miller Gearhart Papers". Finding Aid. Northwest Digital Archive. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Milk Memorial March Brings Out Hundreds". Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
  10. ↑ McKinley, Jesse (November 1, 2008). "Back to the Ramparts in California". NYT. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  11. ↑ LeVay, Simon; Nonas, Elizabeth (1997). City of Friends: A Portrait of the Gay and Lesbian Community in America. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. p. 65. ISBN   9780262621137 . Retrieved December 8, 2008.
  12. 1 2 Reagan, Ronald (November 1, 1978). "Editorial: Two Ill-advised California Trends". Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. p. A19.
  13. ↑ Magliocca, Gerard (October 18, 2010). "Ronald Reagan and Gay Rights: A reproduction of the op-ed "Editorial: Two Ill-advised California Trends" by Ronald Reagan in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner from Library of Congress". concurringopinions.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  14. ↑ White, John Kenneth (June 3, 2021). "Kevin McCarthy should meet the Ronald Reagan of 1978". The Hill . Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  15. 1 2 Carpenter, Dale (June 10, 2004). "Reagan and Gays: A Reassessment". IGF CultureWatch. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ Gabriel, Trip (March 12, 2024). "David Mixner, Fierce Fighter for Gay Rights, Is Dead at 77" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ Lavietes, Matt (March 12, 2024). "Longtime LGBTQ activist David Mixner dies at 77". NBC News. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  18. ↑ Brigham, Roger (October 28, 2008). "Back to Briggs: Latest No on 8 Ad With Sen. Diane (sic) Feinstein Brings Back Memories of Another Referendum". EDGE Media Network.
  19. ↑ Gallagher, John; Bull, Chris (1996). "Perfect Enemies: The Religious Right, the Gay Movement, and the Politics of the 1990s". Washington Post.
  20. ↑ "Primary Source Set: Briggs Initiative". GLBT Historical Society. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.