Sean Penn Calls for ‘Harvey Milk Day’

[babylonsister]

Sean Penn: Is politics his next role?


Academy-Award winning actor Sean Penn met the media hordes Tuesday in San Francisco's colorful mecca, the Tosca Cafe, to strongly endorse the official founding of a state "Harvey Milk Day" to honor the slain S.F. supervisor and gay activist.

But Penn left open the question on what might be his next big role: Does the thespian activist who has met Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, endorsed Rep. Dennis Kucinich for president and just generally rabble-roused about his ''Commie-loving'' roots (we paraphrase his Oscar speech here) ever plan to run for office?

Surrounded by some of the real-life characters behind the biopic "Milk" -- Milk's friends and early activists Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg, state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (who had a cameo in the film) and a host of gay and lesbian leaders -- Penn deftly sidestepped the question.

"The closet," he said looking around at the leaders behind him, "is brimming with skills.''

But the actor -- who won the best actor Oscar this year for his lead role in "Milk" -- did speak strongly on his belief that a state day, May 22, to officially recognize the accomplishments of Milk. And he predicted his fellow actor, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will get behind it.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=36509

[MadHound]

1. I applaud a Harvey Mild day, however Penn should stick with his strength, acting

He simply doesn't have the personality to make an effective politician.

[tavalon]

3. As evidenced by the fact that people are surprised that he is

offering a political opinion as though it's his first. He's too cantankerous in the real world to be a very effective pol.

[tavalon]

2. Politics have always been a part of his repertoire

Luckily, he's ours. Sadly, most ignore him, but he is passionate about many liberal causes.

[pnutbutr]

4. Penn is so much fail

:eyes:

[xenussister]

5. How so?

Penn's one of our finest actors, and his masterful job at playing Harvey Milk deservedly won him his 2nd Best Actor Oscar. He's also smart, compassionate and a damned good progressive.

I'm all for a Harvey Milk day! It should be national too, not just for Californians.

[hlthe2b]

6. You know, I understand the attention to Milk, but Moscone was

also assassinated by White and no one ever mentions him to any degree. While Milk led a movement and deserves the bulk of attention, I'm still left wondering, about Moscone. Was he just another semi-corrupt politician who happened to be caught up in this tragedy, or was he something more special as well? :shrug:

I remember the assassinations and Dan White's trial, if not in great detail. And, no, I've not yet seen the movie, but intend to.