Sunday, June 12, 2016

Harvey Milk Would Lower SF's Rainbow Flag for Orlando



Out of respect for the dead and to help survivors in the aftermath of the tragic killing and maiming of dozens of folks at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida, flags across the country and maybe around the world are being lowered.

Included on the list is the LGBT Pride Rainbow Flag at the center of the Hillcrest District in San Diego. My heartfelt thanks go out to the folks down there who maintain this rainbow flag as a instrument for pride, education, community organizing, remembrance and when necessary, honoring our dead.

According to their Facebook page, the rainbow flag was lowered at noon today in the heart of Hillcrest.

It's my belief that Harvey Milk, if he were alive today, would have already made sure the rainbow flag at Castro and Market Streets in San Francisco would be flying at half staff. He would use the flag and public space surrounding it for mobilization and mourning.

There is a vigil tonight at Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco, under the enormous rainbow flag controlled by Scott Wiener and the Castro Merchants, and out of hate toward me and other activists who want community control and access to the flag pole, Wiener and the merchants resolutely oppose ever altering how the flag is displayed.

On this day of horrible death and hatred directed at gays in Orlando, the LGBT Pride Flag at Harvey Milk Plaza should be flying at half-staff. Let's join with our brothers and sisters in San Diego in using our public rainbow flag in this simple act. Anything less is woeful and unconscionable disrespect.

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