Honoree Directory

The Rainbow Honor Walk celebrates the lives, legacies, and courage of LGBTQ+ trailblazers who have shaped our history, culture, and community. We have installed 44 plaques throughout the Castro and are raising funds to fabricate and install 22 new bronze plaques honoring these remarkable individuals along San Francisco’s iconic Market Street.

These plaques commemorate pioneers in arts, activism, politics, literature, and culture, ensuring their stories are visible, remembered, and celebrated by generations to come. From writers and performers to activists and visionaries, each plaque tells a story of resilience, creativity, and the fight for equality.

Currently Installed Plaques

We have installed 44 honoree plaques along Market, Castro, 18th and 19th streets (map).

Jane Adams (1860-1935)

Alvin Ailey (1931-1989)

W.H. Auden (1907-1973)

Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

James Baldwin (1924–1987)

Gladys Bentley (1907-1960)

Glenn Burke (1952-1995)

George Choy (1960–1993)

Quentin Crisp (1908-1999)

Divine (1945–1988)

Marie Equi (1872-1952)

Fereydoun Farrokhzad (1938-1992)

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898–1936)

Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997)

Keith Haring (1958–1990)

Harry Hay (1912–2002)

Sylvester James (1947–1988)

Barbara Jordan (1936-1996)

Christine Jorgensen (1926–1989)

Frida Kahlo (1907–1954)

Kiyoshi Kuromiya (1943-2000)

Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

Del Martin (1921–2008)

Leonard Matlovich (1943-1988)

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)

Yukio Mishima nee Kimitake Hiraoka, (1925–1970)

Sally Ride (1951-2012)

Silvia Rivera (1951-2002)

Vito Russo (1946-1990)

Bayard Rustin (1912–1987)

José Sarria (1922-2013)

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)

Randy Shilts (1951–1994)

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)

Rikki Streicher (1926-1994)

Gerry Studds (1937-2006)

Lou Sullivan (1951-1991)

Alan Turing (1912–1954)

Chavela Vargas (1919-2012)

Tom Waddell (1937–1987)

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)

Tennessee Williams (1911–1983)

Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)

We’wha (1849-1896)

Plaques To Be Installed

The Rainbow Honor Walk celebrates the lives, legacies, and courage of LGBTQ+ trailblazers who have shaped our history, culture, and community. We are raising funds to fabricate and install 22 new bronze plaques honoring these remarkable individuals along San Francisco’s iconic Market Street.

Your donation will help cover the costs of:

• Casting durable bronze plaques by skilled artisans

• Professional installation in the sidewalk for public viewing

• Ongoing maintenance and preservation

Every contribution brings us closer to honoring these 22 incredible figures, inspiring the LGBTQ+ community and the wider public with their courage and achievements.

Peter Adair (1943 – 1996)

Willem Arondéus (1894-1943)

Gloria Anzaldua (1942-2004)

Gilbert Baker (1951-2017)

Bernice Bing (1936-1998)

Tullalah Bankhead (1902-1968)

Bobbi Campbell (1952-1984)

Roger Casement (1864–1916)

Esther Eng (1914-1970)

Leslie Feinberg (1949-2014)

Sally Gearhart (1931-2021)

Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)