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Created page with "'''Proposition 6''', informally known as the '''Briggs Initiative''', was an unsuccessful ballot initiative put to a referendum on the California state ballot in the November..."
'''Proposition 6''', informally known as the '''Briggs Initiative''', was an unsuccessful ballot initiative put to a referendum on the California state ballot in the November 7, 1978, election. It was sponsored by John Briggs, a conservative state legislator from Orange County. The failed referendum sought to ban homosexuals from working in California's public schools. Openly gay liberal politician [[Harvey Milk]] & 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]] and President [[Jimmy Carter]] helped to swing public opinion against it. Ronald Reagan, a conservative republican, publicly spoke out against the Briggs Initiative, stating that "there are enough laws that protect children".