San Francisco January 15, 2013 - Equality California has learned that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is planning to move forward with a proposal to rename San Francisco International Airport to Harvey Milk International Airport, after the former supervisor who was the first proudly gay man elected to office in America.
"Renaming the airport for Harvey Milk would be an international symbol of hope and freedom, and an enormous educational opportunity," said John O'Connor, Equality California executive director. "People from around the world -- including countries where being gay is still against the law -- will learn about Milk's great legacy. This is a chance to lead the world and affect positive change on a global scale."
"Having San Francisco name its international airport after my uncle is a wonderful and fitting tribute to Harvey and the spirit of inclusion that embodies the core values he taught and lived by: respect for human rights; equality; collaboration; understanding; and a world view," said Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk's nephew, board member of EQCA, and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. "Led by SF Supervisor David Campos, this action sends a powerful message across the globe; that San Francisco continues to be a beacon of light moving us all forward, leading new generations of Americans and foreign visitors alike ever closer to equality for all."
San Francisco International Airport serves over 40 million passengers a year, with 59 airlines serving 105 airports throughout the world. This would be the first airport in the world named after a proudly LGBT person.
Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past 13 years, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has partnered with legislators and advocates to successfully sponsor more than 90 pieces of pro-equality legislation. EQCA continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org
Help us bring you more news. Be a real reader:
By submitting a comment you consent to our rules. You must use your real first and last name, not a nickname or alias. A comment here is just like a letter to the editor or a post on Facebook. Thank you.
