The Rainbow Honor Walk will commemorate LGBTQ+ civil rights icon Phyllis Lyon with a new bronze plaque unveiling on 19th Street on Sunday, November 15, at 2 pm. In a historic first for the Walk, Lyon’s plaque will be permanently positioned so its corner touches the plaque of her lifelong partner and fellow activist, Del Martin. This symbolic arrangement honors the inseparable partnership of two women whose extraordinary contributions laid the foundation for the modern LGBTQ+ and lesbian rights movements. The short public program will feature special guest Kate Kendell alongside local civic leaders and community members gathering to celebrate the couple’s enduring legacy.
Together for over five decades, Lyon and Martin were pioneering visionaries who transformed American social and political history. In 1955, they co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the nation’s first political and social organization for lesbians, and published The Ladder, a groundbreaking national magazine that gave voice and visibility to isolated queer women. Their joint activism spanned decades of advocacy for civil rights, women’s liberation, and elder care, culminating in 2004 when they became the first same-sex couple legally married in San Francisco, and again in 2008 when they were the first couple wed following the California Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality ruling. By placing their plaques corner-to-corner, San Francisco permanently etches their shared love, courage, and monumental accomplishments into the heart of the Castro. https://rainbowhonorwalk.org/
Published on November 5, 2026
Recent Comments