By Supervisor Aaron Peskin–
San Francisco’s history of queer liberation, where LGBTQ individuals have taken on tough fights, organized and won, has always made me proud to call this city home. I am also proud of my long track record of standing up for gay rights, including officiating the first legal same-sex marriage in San Francisco on June 17, 2008, and appointing one of the city’s first trans commissioners.
Recently I stood with the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and a veritable rainbow of queer activists, trailblazing leaders, and young community organizers in support of my campaign for mayor and its message of hope and progress. One of the messages that stood out to me was allyship, and the need for politicians to be better allies to the queer community during tumultuous times.
With over 500 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation being pushed by hard-right forces nationwide, the LGBTQ community is facing difficult and dark times. San Francisco must be a beacon of light and lead the national effort to stand up and fight back against these far-right assaults on LGBTQ rights and queer people. And that means starting at home with a real queer agenda that will make San Francisco a safe and affordable haven for those who need it most.
As mayor, I will not only continue to carry Harvey Milk’s torch but also fan its flames to reach even more in our queer community and beyond. Throughout my time in City Hall, I have already been a voice for LGBTQ causes that go beyond just keeping nightclubs and bars open. Here is my Queer Agenda for San Francisco:
Public Safety: Much like Jane Warner and her hard-fought patrol special, community policing has always been central to my public safety work. In North Beach and Chinatown, I implemented a plan for real community policing, with bi-fluent and culturally competent officers who come from the community and know the shopkeepers and residents by name. It not only keeps people safe; it also makes them feel safe. As mayor, I will expand this homegrown model of community policing to every neighborhood in San Francisco, ensuring that the SoMa, Castro, and Tenderloin all have foot-patrol officers that know the unique communities and characters that make San Francisco so special. I have proposed a College to Community Policing recruitment plan with forgivable student loans to make sure we are attracting officers to serve in the communities they come from.
End Homelessness for the LGBTQ Community: 28% of the 8,300 people who are homeless in San Francisco identify as queer. We need to end homelessness for the LGBTQ community, but empty tough talk and cruel sweeps only move homeless people from one neighborhood to the next. I am the only candidate for mayor with a comprehensive homeless plan, “From Crisis to Care,” which addresses systemic management reform, a regional approach to treatment, stopping evictions, standing up shelters, and creating affordable housing.
We also need to expand affordable housing opportunities for extremely low-income queer folks, like our fixed-income seniors who survived the AIDS crisis only to have to choose between paying for healthcare and paying for rent. I’ve introduced Proposition G for the November ballot aimed at helping to provide rental subsidies for thousands of extremely low-income seniors with an Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund. As your mayor I will work to expand this platform to ensure that low-income queer individuals have more housing options and don’t risk facing homelessness.
Expand and Protect Vital Health Care Programs: LGBTQ individuals have unique health care needs, and as mayor I will work to ensure that these needs are met. I worked hard to get funding restored for the City Clinic, Laguna Honda Hospital, and SF General Hospital, which all provide critical services for the queer community. When Queer LifeSpace was threatened with eviction, I immediately authored legislation to keep its affordable mental and behavioral health services for the queer community in place. We need more, not fewer, programs like this.
Protect Trans Refugees in San Francisco: Many trans individuals seek refuge and political asylum in San Francisco. With attacks on the trans community growing, my administration will work to expand protections for trans individuals who seek safety in our city—regardless of where they come from.
I have long been proud to be an ally of the queer community, and as mayor will continue this work with a real queer agenda for San Francisco.
Aaron Peskin has served as the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors since 2023. https://www.aaron2024.com/
Election 2024
Published on September 19, 2024
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