Skip to Content
Celebrating Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Communities

San Francisco’s Terminal 1 Will Become The Harvey Milk Terminal

San Francisco supervisors have approved the naming of an SFO Terminal in honour of Harvey Milk after years of debate…

San Francisco International Airport have officially announced plans to rename a terminal in honour of Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay elected official in the United States back in 1977.

Forty years after Milk’s death, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have unanimously approved renaming Terminal 1. SFO’s director now has until September 1st to submit a plan on the design and placement of artwork to memorialize the slain civil rights leader.

“This really is huge for our community to recognize Harvey’s sacrifice and people who are still sacrificing,” said Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, who co-sponsored the legislation. “It was a great achievement to get Harvey elected and then to lose him and then have to endure the AIDS epidemic — our freedom has not come cheaply.”

Milk was the first openly LGBT supervisor in city history, but was murdered — along with Mayor George Moscone — by his colleague Dan White in 1978.

Former City Supervisor David Campos first suggested naming the entire airport after the gay rights activist back in 2013, a controversial move which prompted both support and near-daily death threats. With the help of an airport renaming committee, a compromise was eventually struck: name Terminal 1 after the activist.

“It’s done! Five years after Supervisor David Campos began the renaming campaign, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave final approval to rename San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal One after Uncle Harvey,” Stuart Milk – Harvey Milk’s nephew – posted on to.php?fbid=10215917350835010&set=a.1043867105285.8309.1483851748&type=3&theater” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Facebook.

“The 2 billion dollar terminal renovation, by action of Supervisor Hillary Ronen, will include educational and artist elements on Harvey! Hope sent across the world!”

San Francisco’s Terminal 1 welcomes more than 32,000 travellers every day.

Related Articles

November 18, 2025 / Latest Life

IDAHOBIT Announces 2026 Theme: “At The Heart Of Democracy”

Observed annually on May 17, the theme for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia will be: “At the heart of democracy”

November 13, 2025 / Latest Life

Watch ‘Still Here,’ A Short Documentary About HIV And Aging

CANFAR’s first-ever documentary short shares the experiences of three Canadians who have lived with HIV for over 35 years

October 29, 2025 / Latest Life

OPINION: Sincerity Is Scary – The Lack Of Earnestness In Gay Men

Some gay men consider everything to be “camp,” to protect themselves from the judgments of revealing something about their genuine enjoyments. Can we ever show our true colours, or are we still no better than our closeted selves?

Comments

1 Comment

    Jerry Pritikin / 10 April 2018

    The reason for the naming was due to Harvey Milk’s nephew, who believes that Harvey’s name belongs on everythin,using Milk’s Foundation to make it happen.There were many great gay leaders before,during and after Harvey. I am against how Harvey name is being used in Cities that overlook their own gay hero’s of yesteryear and now and the fact that Harvey’s own New York hometown does not have any tribute.

POST A COMMENT

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *