Jose Sarria, gay rights pioneer, to be inducted into Calif. Hall of Fame

qvoicenews.com:

José Sarria, a San Francisco trailblazer who was the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States, will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the California Museum made the announcement Tuesday regarding the 16th class of pioneers in public service, sports, music, entertainment. “We are thrilled to announce the newest class of inductees joining some of our state’s most revolutionary, innovative, and brightest in the California Hall of Fame,” Newsom said in a statement. “The outstanding legacy of this group has and will continue to embody what it means to be a Californian.

There is no doubt their legacies will continue to live on and inspire millions across our state for generations to come,” he said.

Jose Sarria State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who identifies as gay, said the recognition of Jose Sarria’s contributions to California and the LGBTQ community is “long overdue.” “As the founder of the Imperial Court System, Her Royal Majesty, Empress of San Francisco, José I, The Widow Norton worked endlessly to support and uplift LGBTQ people and to make San Francisco a better and more inclusive city,” Wiener said in a statement. “As the first gay man in United States history to run for public office, he created space for people like me to run and hold office.” A World War II veteran and celebrated drag performer at the Black Cat Café from the mid-1950s until the establishment closed in 1964, Jose Sarria was one of San Francisco’s first militant activists for homosexual equality.