Happy Birthday Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Jose Sarria
Happy Birthday Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Jose Sarria
Today on the anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree José Sarria (December 13, 1922 – August 19, 2013).
A pioneering LGBTQ+ activist, drag performer, and political trailblazer, Sarria made history in 1961 as the first openly gay person to run for public office in the United States. Through his fearless visibility, community organizing, and founding of the Imperial Court System, he helped transform San Francisco into a center of queer resistance, pride, and liberation long before Stonewall.
Read historian Bill Lipsky’s tribute from the SF Bay Times at the link below: