Sean Penn is getting political. Shocking, right? After last week’s Oscar win for Best Actor in Milk, Sean is using his star power to petition California governor Arnold Sschwarzenegger to recognize Harvey Milk’s birthday as a state holiday. Apparently, Milk’s birthday is already recognized in San Francisco, but Penn wants a state-wide holiday. Then probably a nation-wide holiday, then the world! But Penn has some support within the California legislature. OK! Magazine has more:

Now that he’s won Best Actor for his portrayal of the late gay activist Harvey Milk, Sean Penn is using his Hollywood muscle to make sure people never forget his message.

Penn is reportedly pushing the state of California to officially recognize Harvey Milk’s birthday. State Senator Mark Leno plans to reintroduce a bill on Tuesday with Penn by his side, designating Milk’s birthday as a “day of significance.”

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill last year. In his veto message, the governor said Milk should be honored in San Francisco, but not statewide.

Leno says Penn’s award shows that Schwarzenegger’s argument about Milk being only of provincial interest no longer holds up.

From OK! Magazine

Harvey Milk’s birthday should be a California holiday, but I’m not so sure about taking it nation-wide. California should be proud of Harvey Milk; he was, after all, the first openly gay office-holder in America. I hope the governor (The Governator) approves – I bet he will, because Arnold needs some good press from the gay community.

Even though that was thirty years ago, today there are only a handful of openly gay office-holders. Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts is one, the mayor of Portland (his name is actually Sam Adams) is another. But the Portland mayor is engaged in some kind of seedy underage sex scandal, so the gay community probably doesn’t want to be associated with him.