California politician Carole Migden talked to students on Monday following the screening of “Political Animals” in the North Gym.
The documentary film “Political Animals” follows four women and the work they did fighting for the civil rights of LGBT people in California, and the impact their work had on the nation as a whole.
Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg and Christine Kehoe introduced legislation in the 1990s and 2000s that gave protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and LGBT youth in schools.
The documentary shows how legislation by four openly gay women not only created changes in California laws, but also inspired societal acceptance and understanding of the members of the gay community.
The film has been shown internationally, including screenings in Australia, Spain and Uganda. Migden said she will travel to Amsterdam for another viewing of the documentary.
After the screening, Migden explained how California passed a law requiring textbooks to include information about LGBT history for students as early as the second grade. She also encouraged students to use their voice in order to get involved in politics.
“It’s important to call out lies, not insults,” Migden said. “Have them vote against your bill, but not against you.”
Migden took questions from audience members, with some students asking for advice on running for office in student government at Fresno State. She emphasized the importance of running with a focus on policy and giving concrete examples of what the students would like to achieve at Fresno State.
For some students, this was their first time hearing about the revolutionary work done by these women.
“I learned about the four pioneer women,” said Monserrath Sanchez, a second-year political science major. “It’s not really put into history books, [so] you don’t really learn about this.”
“Political Animals” has also been edited to shorter lengths in order to be shown in schools ranging from elementary to high school. This made it possible for the film to become an educational tool, teaching students of all ages about their legislative work regarding LGBT issues.
“I just liked learning about the history of policy, especially in California, regarding LGBT issues because I’m part of the community,” said Andrew Dadasovich, a Fresno State alumnus. “I’m also politically involved, so it’s pretty interesting to me.”