Remembering Phyllis Lyon / First Responders Free Lunch / Weather Report
Remembering Phyllis Lyon
San Francisco's own LGBTQ activist Phyllis Lyon passed away yesterday at the age of 95. She was one of the most outspoken advocates for lesbian rights in this country. Phyllis and her partner Del Martin were plaintiffs in California's “Marriage Equality” case. And they were among the first same-sex couples to be married when California legalized gay marriage. They were wed in the office of Gavin Newsom, who was then the mayor of San Francisco, after having been together for more than 50 years. But marriage equality was never one of their biggest concerns, as Phyllis told KALW’s Eric Jansen of the program Out In The Bay in 2006.
“Our community was more interested in laws that would keep us from being fired from our jobs, or thrown out of our houses, or in jail, and stuff like that,” she said. “And all this time none of us were very excited. A lot of us were feeling that marriage was an old, kind of silly, thing. And it was patriarchal and it was men getting power over women, and we didn't want to have anything to do with it.”
In the 1950s, when the even act of even dancing together could have gotten them arrested, Phyllis and Del joined three other lesbian couples to form what would become the Daughters of Bilitis, the nation’s first openly lesbian political organization. Through their work, they inspired political leaders and groups from Nancy Pelosi to the National Organization for Women to include LGBTQ rights as part of their agendas. San Francisco’s Lyon-Martin Health Clinic, which serves women and queer people, was named in honor of Phyllis and Del.
Phyllis Lyon has been supported by a community of caregivers and family members in her final years. She passed away at her home from natural causes.
First Responders Free Lunch
First responders can get a free lunch or dinner every Friday during the month of April at Jake’s Steaks in San Francisco, according to the restaurant. Jake's is located at 3301 Buchanan Street between Lombard and Chestnut Streets near the Moscone softball fields.
Weather Report
On the weather front, here in the Bay Area, we’ve got a warming trend over the next several days. Temperatures in the mid to upper 60s at times and a cloudy start to your morning tomorrow. But other than that, it should be a fine weekend. But keep your social distancing, please if you're deciding to have some outdoor recreation.
