SF's Pink Triangle Holocaust Memorial Charred in Apparent Arson

Over the weekend I wrote about the annual installation of the massive Pink Triangle atop San Francisco's Twin Peaks, meant to commemorate gay victims of the Holocaust.

Early Sunday morning, hours before the city's Gay Pride parade was set to begin, arsonists burned a portion of the triangle: "The blaze was reported at about 5 a.m. near Christmas Tree Point Road and was extinguished about 30 minutes later. A 25-by-30 foot area was damaged, she said."

Authorities now have more information about what started the blaze: "San Francisco police say road flares were used to char a section of the triangle."

Add this to the incidents in Fort Worth and New York City, and it's clear that hatred against LGBT people is still very present.

Earlier, I featured a speech by Lt. Dan Choi at the opening ceremony. Speeches by actress Cloris Leachman and Assemblyman Mark Leno, AFTER THE JUMP...

Lt. Dan Choi Speaks at Annual Unveiling of SF's Pink Triangle

 

Lt. Dan Choi speaks at the unveiling of the Pink Triangle atop San Francisco's Twin Peaks on Saturday as part of Pride weekend. The Pink Triangle is a massive installation commemorating gay victims of the Holocaust. The Pink Triangle has been installed every Pride weekend since 1995.

Watch Choi speak, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Artist Proposes 'Harvey Milk Memorial Pink Cloud' Over SF's Castro

 

Like most public art projects, everyone seems to have an opinion about the one being envisioned for the entrance to San Francisco's Castro District, as a memorial to gay rights leader Harvey Milk. The art piece, first envisioned in 2000 but shelved for lack of funds, would be created with poles emitting steam, which would then be lit with pink lights.

The SF Chronicle reports: "Now it's back - revived by Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the San Francisco Arts Commission to add some flair to the temporary public plaza that opened last month at the intersection...Some do find the idea delightful; others say it conjures a toxic cloud that's destined to cause a car wreck. Then there are practical questions: Will the wind send the cloud cruising down Castro Street?...While many in the audience of a dozen found the idea intriguing, they had some concerns. 'I'm conflicted whether I like it or not,' said Tito Vandermeyden, artist and owner of Studio 94114. 'The place is very windy, and there will be a lot of rubbernecking. I'd like to see local Castro artists promoted, too.' Terry Asten Bennett, owner of Cliff's Variety Store and president of the Castro Merchants Association, is worried about accidents when drivers crest Market Street and find a big 'pink UFO' in the sky. 'We've had a lot of customers say, 'What in the hell are they thinking?' ' she said. But public art often does provoke, just as Milk did, Dufty said. 'I think this is a great opportunity to do something intriguing,' Dufty said."

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San Francisco Police Arrest 175 Following Prop 8 Ruling

The Mercury News reports:

"Hundreds of people filled the intersection of Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue late this morning after word spread of the ruling. The court also ruled that roughly 18,000 existing same-sex marriages in California remain valid.  Around 12:45 p.m., officers were seen placing plastic handcuffs on protesters and leading them to police vans waiting nearby. With each new arrest, the crowd cheered.  Police Sgt. Lyn Tomioka said the protesters were arrested for being outside a crosswalk and failing to obey an officer. Tomioka said she was not aware of any injuries related to the protest. As of mid-afternoon the intersection had been cleared and traffic was moving through normally."