Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay men in the country to hold public office.
San Francisco Supervisor David Campos wants to up the ante and rename San Francisco International Airport in honor of gay rights activist and slain City Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Campos plans to introduce a bill today that would name The City’s airport Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport. If five other supervisors approve, the measure would be in voters’ hands to decide on the November ballot.
Dozens of other U.S. airports are named in honor of individuals, but San Francisco’s would be first airport honoring an openly gay person, according to Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk.
Milk, who runs a gay rights foundation in his uncle’s memory, told KTVU:
“For young gay people in an illegal place looking up at a monitor and being able to point to this international airport named after an LGBT advocate, it gives them the green light to authenticity. It’s a major representation that (they) are being celebrated somewhere in the world in a high-level way.”
Milk said flights departing from SFO travel to 68 countries where homosexuality is illegal.
Harvey Milk won a seat on the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977, becoming the first openly gay man in the country voted into public office. Mayor George Moscone and Milk were assassinated by former supervisor Dan White on Nov. 27, 1978.
Campos believes the name change would cost between $50,000 and $250,000. While The City may foot the bill, Campos said he hopes to bring in private donations to cover the costs.
Last modified January 16, 2013 2:01 am
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