Salt Lake City to name street after slain San Francisco gay leader

Last updated on: April 23, 2016 at 11:36 am by Dan Peterson

Salt Lake City to name street after slain San Francisco gay leader 2016-04-23T11:36:56-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The gay pride flag flies over Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco’s Castro District.
(Wikimedia Commons)

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-04-19/in-conservative-utah-naming-road-for-gay-leader-stands-out

I understand what’s going on. Municipal leaders across the country are pretty much obliged to name streets after Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and, now, Harvey Milk.

Why?

Because many genuinely revere them, of course.

But also because, given the way liberalism has evolved since the days of Lyndon Johnson, the Great Society, and George McGovern, failure to toe the progressive line on matters involving race, gender, and sexuality is a sure demonstration of moral depravity to large sectors of elite opinion. And it draws the kind of attention from elite media that city leaders, tourist bureaus, chambers of commerce, and earnest local boosters really, really, really don’t want. (See this and this.)

Anybody who votes against renaming a street for Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, or Harvey Milk is absolutely certain to be declared a bigot who hates blacks, Latinos, people of color generally, and homosexuals. Hate, hate, hate. Proposition H8. And so forth.

Now, truth be told, I don’t really mind having a street named after Martin Luther King. He was a genuinely heroic and truly national figure, and his assassination was a vicious crime. And racial bigotry is a serious moral failing that he helped us to face. It seems just a tad rote and obligatory to me, frankly, since virtually every city of any size now has a Martin Luther King Boulevard, but I’m fine with it. (I wonder how many cities have George Washington Boulevards or Abraham Lincoln Boulevards. Does Salt Lake City?)

I’m a bit less on board with naming a street in Salt Lake City, Utah, after Cesar Chavez. Mr. Chavez was a California labor organizer, and he was controversial even back when he was alive and I was living in the state. His wasn’t such clear moral issue, but a matter of economics and public policy on which decent people could disagree. Not everybody supported his boycotts of California agricultural products, and I guess I missed the memo announcing his transformation into a secular saint to whom every substantial city must dedicate a major street. But whatever. No harm, really, and it’s done.

As for Harvey Milk? You may recall that he was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — the first openly gay elected public official in California — who was assassinated (along with Mayor George Moscone) in November 1978, after holding office for just eleven months. It’s natural and, in fact, it’s right and proper that the city of San Francisco now has a George Moscone Center, for instance, and a Harvey Milk Plaza. Murdered public servants should be remembered and honored, just as their murderers should be abhorred and disdained.

I don’t strenuously object to renaming a Salt Lake City street for Mr. Milk, but I do find it rather odd.

Is there a street named after George Moscone? For that matter, how many Utah governors remain streetless? How many Utah senators and congressmen? How many Salt Lake City mayors? How many prominent Utah artists, writers, pioneers, inventors, scientists, and public officials? Is there a Henry Eyring Street? A Deedee Corradini Street? I honestly don’t know. Has any boulevard been named after Avard Fairbanks?

I suppose it’s part of the tribute that a conservative state must pay to icons of the political and cultural Left. It might plausibly be seen as an attempt to escape demonization. I have no real hope or expectation that progressive-leaning outsiders will ever give up regarding the dominant religious and political blocs here as haters and troglodytes, but the situation would likely be even worse if we failed to genuflect where genuflection is required, however briefly.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 23, 2016

"Capernaum bears witness of Christ"

Next Post

April 23, 2016 Explaining a bit about Islamic "shari‘a" law

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many "I AM" statements does Jesus make in the book of John?

Select your answer to see how you score.

3 5 7 10