Gay Walk Of Fame Planned For Castro

In a project similar to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, 20 noted LGBT figures have been selected for the Castro's Rainbow Honor Walk. Not all of the honorees were San Francisco residents. Matthew Bajko reports at the Bay Area Reporter:

Fourteen men and six women have been chosen to be the first group of 20 LGBT luminaries to be honored with plaques along the sidewalks of the Castro, San Francisco's gay neighborhood, the Bay Area Reporter has learned. The list includes the famous, such as the poet Allen Ginsberg and pop artist Keith Haring, to unsung heroes few people may know, such as Jane Addams, the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and Japanese playwright Yukio Mishima. Known as the Rainbow Honor Walk, the project is aimed at showcasing the extraordinary achievements LGBT people have made toward human society despite the hatred and lack of rights they faced due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

All those chosen were open about their sexuality or gender identity when they were living. In addition to the names above, honorees include disco star Sylvester James, civil rights hero Bayard Rustin, computing pioneer Alan Turing, AIDS activist George Choy, playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, Harry Hay, James Baldwin, Frida Kahlo, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Randy Shilts, Tom Waddell, Tennessee Williams, Virginia Wolfe, Del Martin, and Christine Jorgensen. The Bay Area Reporter notes that three of honorees took their own lives and that five died of AIDS. Hit the link for Bajko's complete article and information on how to participate in the project.

UPDATE: Curiously, Harvey Milk doesn't make the list, but that may be because tributes to Milk are already omnipresent in the Castro.