Eureka Valley in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Del Martin
(1921-2008)
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 24, 2021
1. Del Martin Marker
Erected 2019 by Rainbow Honor Walk.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Women. In addition, it is included in the Rainbow Honor Walk series list.
Location. 37° 45.552′ N, 122° 26.121′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Eureka Valley. Marker is on 19th Street west of Castro Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94114, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bayard Rustin (a few steps from this marker); Frida Kahlo (a few steps from this marker); Yukio Mishima (within shouting distance of this marker); Christine Jorgensen (within shouting distance of this marker); Randy Shilts (within shouting distance of this marker); Harry Hay (within shouting distance of this marker); Harvey Milk (within shouting distance of this marker); Gertrude Stein (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Also see . . .
this page online
1. Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin dies at 87 (SFGate, August 28, 2008).
"Ms. Martin's activist reach extended into the feminist movement when she became the first open lesbian to serve on the board of directors of the National Organization for Women, and she helped spearhead a successful campaign to get the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its roster of mental illnesses."(Submitted on November 26, 2021.)
2. Civil Rites & Civil Rights: Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon (YouTube, 2.5 min.). Video of the their wedding ceremony (presided over by then mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom), shortly after the state ban on same-sex marriage was lifted as the result of a court ruling. They actually had been married four years earlier when the City of San Francisco first started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but those earlier same-sex marriages were nullified by the state's supreme court. Martin and Lyon were among the plaintiffs in the case that challenged that ruling. (Submitted on November 26, 2021.)
3. Daughters of Bilitis (Wikipedia).
'The Daughters of Bilitis, also called the DOB or the Daughters, was the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. The organization, formed in San Francisco(Submitted on November 26, 2021.)in 1955, was conceived as a social alternative to lesbian bars, which were subject to raids and police harassment. As the DOB gained members, their focus shifted to providing support to women who were afraid to come out. The DOB educated them about their rights, and about gay history. The historian Lillian Faderman declared, "Its very establishment in the midst of witch-hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were." The Daughters of Bilitis endured for 14 years, becoming an educational resource for lesbians, gay men, researchers and mental health professionals.'Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 24, 20212. Del Martin Marker - wide view, looking west on 19th Street
Additional keywords. lgbt lgbtq
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 108 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
