Salt Lake City street renamed to honor Harvey Milk

by Austin Stallings
Journalism Intern

Salt Lake City now has a street honoring the first openly gay politician to ever hold public office, Harvey Milk.

Mayor Jackie Biskupski put up the street sign changing part of 900 South to Harvey Milk Boulevard.

‘I am where I am because of people like Harvey,’ Biskupski said, according to Fox 13 Salt Lake City.

Last December Biskupski was sworn in as mayor of Utah’s capital, with her new fiancée by her side. She is Salt Lake City’s first out LGBTI mayor.

The legislation to rename the street was approved this past April. Equality Utah, an advocacy organization, launched a campaign to raise the money needed for the new signs.

‘American cities have a proud tradition of recognizing the achievement of diverse communities with honorary street names,’ the group said on its fundraising page. ‘Salt Lake City honors Martin Luther King Jr. (600 South), Rosa Parks (200 East) and Cesar Chavez (500 South). In May of 2016 LGBTQ advocate Harvey Milk will take his place among these civil rights icons.’

Milk was a Navy veteran, businessman, and community activist when he was elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977.

He was killed, along with San Francisco mayor George Moscone, in 1978 by their former colleague, Dan White.

Even though Harvey Milk only served for 11 months, he was responsible for passing a rigorous gay rights ordinance for San Francisco.

The Gayly- 5/16/2016 4:50 p.m. CDT