Salt Lake City Puts Harvey Milk Blvd on the Map

Despite being one of the most conservative states in the union, Utah,and in particular Salt Lake City, has made some pretty huge strides for the LGBT community. Just last year, Salt Lake welcome its first openly gay mayor, Jackie Biskupski and a 2015 Gallup polled deemed it the seventh gayest city in the U.S. The progress continued last week when the city christened a city street, Harvey Milk Blvd. Named after the legendary gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the street is part of what the town’s 900 South Street. The Salt Lake City Council recently voted unanimously to rename 900 South after Milk, who was one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials until his assassination in 1978. Mayor Biskupski, who was photographed hanging a new street sign last week said, ““I am where I am because of people like Harvey.” A massive celebration took place last weekend to celebrate Harvey Milk Blvd in Salt Lake City’s 9th District. “Harvey is an icon to the LGBTQ community. He taught us to come out of the closets and into the streets,”  LGBT activist and Utah resident Jeanetta Williams told City Weekly in an email. “We know that Harvey Milk Boulevard on a prominent downtown street will be a beacon of hope to LGBTQ youth, as well as any marginalized teen. Over time, we hope Harvey will become a hero to all Utahns.”