>> >> >> >> >> mayor london breed: it is valentine's day in san francisco, but we are also celebrating something so significant, something that changed this country for the

better. we are celebrating the advocacy of so many of the same sex couples who showed up in san francisco year after year after year asking for the right to do what anyone has the right to do and that is marry the person they love. one year was different. in 2004, when our former mayor and now governor newsom, he took the bold step to say this is what we are doing in san francisco. we are going to issue marriage license to same sex couples and

you will come to the city to deal with the lawsuits that led for all of us to join in the fight of this country. this fight started in san francisco. [cheers and applause] >> we have so many people joining us here today including couples that were married at the time and getting married again. we have folks who are maybe marrying for the first time. city hall is the place to be every valentine's day. in 2004, during the time when we opened the doors on february 12th, that year, the person who was a county clerk issuing all of those marriage licenses, almost 5,000 marriage licenses, nancy alfaro.

thank you for being here. [cheers and applause] >> where did she go? nancy? she is now in charge of the 311 center. but she's still doing great work for this city. we have a star studed line-up today. we have >> supervisor matt dorsey: and >> supervisor rafael mandelman: and amazing ally on the board of supervisors, >> supervisor myrna melgar: we have our city administrator carmen chu, the person that led us through the pandemic, dr. colfax. and the fire

department, janine nicholson. and when everyone around this country attacked drag queen. who doesn't love drag queen? san francisco said we are going to create the first drag laureate in the world. thank you. [cheers and applause] she will be marrying some lucky couples today. i also want to welcome joaquin torres, and in charge of mta, and our hr director. thank you to the couple we have joining us here today, jeannie and pauly were denied the ability to get their marriage license after we were told by the court we had to stop in san francisco. we went from the 1960 summer of

love to the 2000 winter of love. now as we celebrate pride this year, the theme for pride is beacon of love. [cheers and applause] and susan ford, the executive director for pride is here getting married again today. what is the common thread? with all of those things? what is the common thread that has led us here today? it centers around love. it centers around bringing people together in the spirit of love and recognizing that that is the uniter. love can bring us together and it's not just the song. it really is true. so when we think about the challenges that this community still faces, what i am most proud of is what san francisco continues to do to lead the way.

people may want to talk about us and write us off but we know what we stand for. we tell them all the time, write san francisco all you want but you better write in pencil because right now through the boom and the bust and the boom again, we are starting to see hope, we are starting to see excitement. we are so proud that as i said we have one of the first drag laureates anywhere in the world and proud that this office in the face of attack, not only in our transgender community but our transgender kids, we set up the first office for transgenders in san francisco. in the face of challenges and the face of hopelessness and despair, especially with other states around this country, we answer the call with love. we answer the call with making changes to our policies, we

answer the call with celebrations like today and the anniversary of marriage equality, we answer the call. today as we marry some amazing couples, we have couples who are returning here which were some of the first to marry in san francisco city hall including john louis. everybody is looking for the john louis. that's the twin brother. and stuart. one of the first couples to get married during that time along with so many others. we are grateful that they helped to lead the way because there are other people who fought for that day in 2004 that were not here to witness the moment. and now so many of you are here to carry the torch. make sure that we continue to recognize this significant milestone, but more importantly,

that we continue to be the beacon of hope as a city for the lgbtqia+ community in the policies that we change, in the investments that we make and in how we celebrate events like we are doing today. we are so honored and happy to have each and every one of you here today joining us for marriage equality in san francisco. at this time, i would like to introduce, before we start marrying people. anybody want to marry me? please, anybody? don't tell my boyfriend i said that. and this is the amazing work that he did and take that case all the way to the supreme court. he was our fearless attorney in san

francisco, ladies and gentlemen, welcome dennis herrera. >> thank you, madam mayor. we see a lot of old and dear friends and a lot of people in new roles. we see my right hand chief deputy at the time, justice terry stuart, from the court of appeals here and the former representative of the office, da matt -- dorsi and the ten years that we fought for equal marriage and equality. san

francisco knows how to celebrate valentine's day. this is a terrific reminder of the battle we fought 20 years ago and to see so many couples here, same sex couples, that's what we are fighting for, civil rights. we have always been at the forefront to celebrate. what went lose sight of for 20 years we have made tremendous progress but progress is not always interrupted. i certainly would have thought that we would be beyond now 20 years fighting a battle like it seems it never ends. as we look at what is happening around the country, what is happening internationally about those that want to turn back the

clock, that is something that we can never do, and why san francisco has to be the conscious of the nation, and for every elected official and leader in this country to make sure that we remind folks that the battle does not end and we have to be at the forefront of making sure that progress continues to be maintained for civil rights equality for lgbtqia+ folks. because it is unfortunately, there are a lot of people that want to turn back the clock. we are here to celebrate, but also to remind all of us and to remind the generation that comes behind us of what we all need to do to stay vigilant. i want to say the best way to stay vigilant and to remind folks is to focus on the couples. not just the legal battles. the legal battles were the

legal battles but we fought them to let the people celebrate love. 20 years ago, the best part of what we did was not in the courtroom but to change the minds and the hearts of people and living a shared experience. walking around city hall and talking to couples that came from everywhere around the country to hear what we were doing, what it meant for them and their families and their couples, and that is what we should always remember and celebrate because that is what we were fighting for. there were ups and downs in that battle. remember, we had a month of happiness, a great month of happiness and then it abruptly closed. but that didn't mean that folks didn't continue to fight. that's why i'm happy to be introducing the next speaker who lived the ups and downs of the

problems better than anybody, and that is jenny rizzo and pauly cooper. many of may have known their story. they were unfortunately the first couple denied a marriage license here in california because they couldn't get an appointment to get married until march 11th. i asked why did you wait that long? they were flying on a plane and that was the first appointment they can get and they had 50 folks attending their wedding and they were abruptly denied the marriage license and that the court came out with this decision. they made the decision to say we want to be denied. they walked up to the clerk's desk and were denied. that was gut wrenching,

but it didn't make it without resolve because we fought in california and made sure we brought marriage equality in california. so it is great to have jeannie and pauly here. we fought that battle for folks like them, we fought alongside them and they were our entire partner throughout this entire legal battle and they represent many others through that battle as well and they have been together for 35 years, and there is no better couple to talk about the ups and downs and continue to fight and that's jeannie and thank you very much. [ applause ] >> thank you, dennis. what happened here in san francisco is truly transformational. it

took a lot of courageous people to stand up. on march when we were turned down, it was devastating, but great that these people stood in. all of these people that were here, i was so proud that they were part of this. the story that they wove, civil rights, marriage rights, discrimination. they made it so easy for the judge to hear our case that we were on the right side of history and indeed we prevailed. if you are lucky to find a person that loves you, that you love, makes you laugh, spend the highs and lows, raising kids, parents getting sick and dying, we are those loved ones. and now being legally married as we

are older, i have a sense of security that we will be able to look out for each other and i thank this team for making it possible for us. thank you. [ applause ] >> she does make me laugh every single day. i couldn't be more blessed. on march 11th, it was a very traumatic day. we had 50 friends and family. everybody came to city hall and as dennis mentioned, we got this paperwork and saw all of these cameras coming to city hall and we thought someone famous must be getting married and somebody yelled, they are shutting it down. at the time i was 58. do the math. we went running down the corridor to the clerk's office.

maybe we could beat it, maybe that wasn't true. when we watched couples standing there and turning away, we channeled a very dear friend of ours, bernice, the civil rights leader who taught me everything about social justice and activism. she would say when your name is on the moment, you have a choice. you stand in or you walk away. and we held that. and my son who at the time was 24, that we have been raising already for 15 years, came up and put his arms around us and we said we have to stand and be denied. being denied was very emotional. if any of you watch pursuit of equality, the film. you will see the sobbing. it was incredibly emotional to be turned down at that counter and to watch the press

conference from mayor newsom. and would like to say what it was like when there was a cake in the corner that no one wanted to cut and there were gifts. should they bring them. how do they celebrate us. at the end of the night, we saw a stack in the corner and people didn't know how to embrace this moment. then we had an answering machine. remember those? there were messages from aclu, lambda, and we had to make a decision, what would we do with that, what would it mean? it would mean that your life is going to be hard, public and difficult. we said okay. my son said, mom, we were the ones denied. we have to show up. as a grown man now in clinical

psychology, he understand the wounds. we are here because of you. mayor, new mayor talking to us, bringing this celebration for us, thank you. it's just a privilege to have been a plaintiff and to represent. thank you for allowing us and supporting us during our representation. matt dorsi was one of the first guys that came to us and gave us a big hug and said you are going to be okay and we held hands for about four thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, jeannie, pauly. it is hard to believe that it's been 20 years. this event that we are celebrating marked something that for me was one of the most

moving and personally meaningful endeavors i have ever taken part in my career. as one of the two queer executive members in the administration office along with terry stuart, we were watching something unfold that would deliver marriage equality rights that we have never seen in our lifetime. had i known that this would be on the table in my lifetime, i would have been a better boyfriend. [ laughter ] i want to say thank you to everyone, and dean preston. we had a unanimous sponsorship celebrating the winter of love and would like to express gratitude to our governor

newsom. there are times where things may seem unclear, but in 2004, a relatively new mayor, in office a month or two, made the decision to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. it was worth the fight. politically there was no guarantee at that moment that it was going to turnout well for him and his career. thank god he's the governor of california. thank you, governor newsom. similarly it's been the honor of my career to serve as fifth district supervisors and working for 14 years under the leadership of dennis herrera and terry stuart.

the work that that law office did was extraordinary. when san francisco didn't just defend gavin newsom, it was a pivotal moment in history and anytime any government in the state to sue on the marriage loss. he said i want a trial on the facts of the case. i want to see what the facts are, the trial that i have always been trying to get. we as a city and the city attorney's office put discrimination on trial. and we got prop 8 and the discriminatory marriage laws struck down. there is an unsung hero in that. part of why it changed the debate was because it was the

first time a government was voicing a societal interest and why we have a common interest in ending marriage discrimination. we turned to san francisco's chief economist, ted eagan, are and said how much does it cost the city and county of san francisco, california, to deal with your discrimination and your discriminatory laws? we had pleadings submitted to the court and no court had seen this kind of stuff the argument we were making, it changed the debate, it changed conversations around dinners around this country and it changed history. thanks to all of you for being part of that. i think there is also an enduring lesson on the part of couples that moved me to tears often and i don't think i will make it through the day without

them. it is always for this san francisco city hall. we respect democracy and should disagree, but let's never forget that when we unite on something, we can change the world. [ applause ] in honor for me as i mentioned serving on the board of supervisors now, i never thought i would want this job but it really is an honor to be here and one of the joys that i sit along one of my friends and a mentor, and that is my friend >> supervisor rafael mandelman: >> thank you.

madam mayor, and matt dorsi, you brought it out of the park. i didn't know about the role he played in this story. san franciscans, we think pretty highly of ourselves. this building, this is a city hall, people. but clearly 100 years ago, people thought we were going to be doing big and important things and we needed a building that reflect that. sometimes i will tell you as someone who finds myself on the pragmatic wing of san francisco politics, i'm a little annoyed by that impulse. can we make this in the city work without changing all the world, but sometimes san francisco earns its bragging rights. 20 years ago, many of you,

former city attorney and now general manager herrera, former mayor and now governor newsom. and all led by justice and stuart, those that subjected themselves. you had to be perfect because you were going to be talked about and voted on. and for everybody like john stuart and molly and all of these activists that made it their cause and worked for it not for a year or two but for like decades. the broader san francisco and california folks who engaged, who got arrested as i did on a number of times, who protested. as matt was saying, this is a city that likes to fight about a

lot. we find a lot to argue about. but we agree about more than we disagree, and when work together to advance the vision that we share for a more just and more equal america, like san francisco can actual help deliver that. here we really really did. so as dennis said, it was a winding road. and arc of the moral of the universe is long but san francisco fought for justice and in the fights we had, we will continue to do that even though we continue to take care of the potholes. there are so many of my favorite people in city government but who i'm going to introduce is the

amazing person carmen. were you one of the people here? you were working for gavin in the budget office and works great to make this city better. i think you are in charge of the marriage licenses at some level. carmen chu. >> thank you so much for bringing us together and for celebrating this occasion. i want to thank so many of the leaders, dennis herrera, so many that were part of this. i would like to share the story

that were shared because it matters in people's lives. when i was the recorder, where marriages were allowed and we made the decision as a city to keep our doors open over the weekend so people didn't have to wait a minute longer to get married. people were saying, why is that important, why can't you do this on monday and why do this extra thing? the reason is because people waited too long. there was a couple who were getting married and drove all the way to san francisco to get married over the weekend and they came because one was going to be shipped off to military service. when you think about the impacts people make, it makes a world of

difference in the security and the lives and the love that were created. i'm happy to be recognized and to be acknowledged for the work. it is great to see kathleen right now. there are 200 couples who are going to get married today and would like to celebrate for her continuing to making that happen. i would like to thank nancy alfaro. she served and did 4,000 marriages since 2004.

thank you for your courage. and thank you for celebrating the winter of love. mabel was instrumental in reworking our marriage licenses and it was she who married our very first same sex couple. so i think the history of san francisco, the history of courage and fighting for what is right, will always be just. despite the battles that we have, please know that your city stands committed to fight alongside you. thank you, happy valentine's day. [ applause ] i would like to introduce one of my colleagues who works with me on all property tax issues and a

very strong advocate, jose cisneros. >> hello, everyone. jose cisneros. not only the longest elected official in office today in san francisco, but also here to be proud of the fact that my husband and i have been together for 33 years. we were married right here in this building ten years ago. [ applause ] but i particularly wanted to tell you about that day, those days 20 years ago because i was here then too. i was not the treasurer. i was the city employee, and i was one of the many dozen of the city employees that got word of what was going on and what our city leaders decided today. i on that weekend among many

others came down to this building and stood by all day to perform wedding ceremonies. i just want to tell you what that was like. each of us that were officiating ceremonies. we the city provided not only the official, i got together and we performed that day 30 wedding ceremonies in one day. but i want to tell you what it was like. you've all been to this building i'm sure if not once, many times and you have seen lots of things happen here. you have never seen this building like it looked on that day. you have seen the pictures, you

have see the videos. hundreds, thousands of people waiting in line for the ceremony to again. they went to the city clerk's office, got all their paperwork done, when their paperwork was in order, they stood by the light poles and dozens and dozens of ceremonies. you couldn't look anywhere in this building and not see a wedding ceremony going on. we went to the top of the staircase and we waved and asked for the next couple to be sent up and as we walked up the grand staircase to join us and we said let's find a place to marry you. we did that. i remember many couples. i will never forget. two women

said we have been together 35 years. we never imagined this would happen in our lifetime. how moving is that? i remember another couple that had flown here from north carolina because the weddings were going on for a day or two from when we were doing them. they were holding a cellphone and unbeknownst to me, they were on in north carolina. at the end of the ceremony, that cellphone burst out into screams and yells and excitement because this couple had just gotten married. i will forever cherish the opportunity to be part of that weekend and to be part of san francisco, but i think as the mayor and everyone has said, all of this is about the couples, it's all about all of you who stood up, who were proud, who were brave and who were present

and continue to be every day now and forever. thanks very much. [ applause ] >> mayor london breed: thank you, jose. i must say especially in hearing a lot of the stories and the history and the experiences that so many of the speakers talked about today, it just makes me so proud of this city. it makes me so proud of what we did to make this happen, and how it has transformed lives of people across the country and the world. [ applause ] and as i said earlier, when others are trying to write a narrative about this city, it is up to each and everyone of us to tell the real story of san francisco. that this place has always been and will continue to be a beacon of hope of love, of

prosperity, of opportunity. that's thanks to especially courageous leaders back then in 2004 and even now with many of the people that you see here today. our commitment has never been stronger than it is now for the things that we need to continue to do to support and you have lift our lgbtqia+ community in this city to set an example for the rest of the country to follow. thank you to all of you. happy valentine's day

[music] so, can you tell us what it was like for you during your first encounter with the san francisco fire department? >> yep. it was super cool! i got to learn about the dry standing pipe correction. it is actually called, dry sand piper just stand pipe. tomato. you know. yea. >> so, what is coming up next for what is that for? >> oh , firefighter backsterinvited mow to a fire station to see the cool stuff firefighters use to put out fires. you have seen the had doors open like a space ship from out of nowhere. i close my eye its is like i'm there right now!

wow! whoa. watch out, man. what is that for? >> what is this? these are fire engines they might look alike they are both red. white top and red lights on top. this is a new 2021 fire engine and this is an older 2014 fire engine. if you can't tell, this one is shorter and narrower than our older fire engines. they have cool things like recessed lights. roll up doors. 360 degree cam ares and more that is important as the city is moving toward slower and safer streets adding parklets and bulb outs and bike lanes we need to decrease our footprint to keep us and the community safer on emergency scenes. >> what's back there?

>> when is not guilty fire engine. great question. i want to see, sure. >> let's go back and look at the equipment and the fire pump on the fire engine. >> this is a fire pump. it is cool all the colors and all that. this fire pump and this engine holds 500 gallons of water that is a lot. >> a lot of water. >> it is push out 1500 gallons a minute of water. we can lose our 500 gammons quickly. why we use hoses like this to connect to a fire hydrant and that gives us unlimited amount of water to help put a fire out temperature is important we have enough fire engine in san francisco to put fires out. so we can reduce the injuries and minimize loss of life and minimize property damage. [music]

>> mr. will. mr. will. will! >> oh. daydreaming. thanks, everybody for watching! bye! [music]television. >> (music). >> my name is vet at a original artist based in san francisco. >> i love it i love it i've

never seen something else and we see how the people see which is happening and what is going on. kind of cool i wanted to be part of that. >> i saw it 2, 3, 4, 5 minutes you yeah. >> so we have you - yeah. i started going when i was young but not the type of kid would get food but this is something i really have been progressing on a talent from like other artists. >> this is amazing. >> this is so good yeah, it is so good like the artists. >> i love it. >> what a great project. >> part of the part for have i

grants. >> yeah. i love it. >> i serve in for 2 two years now and i really am fortunate to live in a place for art. >> an effort creating places it serve san francisco soul and that makes them want to see this place; right? with the experience of art in san jose experience in from the get-go sometimes our environmentalist has created tests but we have an opportunity for that and have artists in the storefront part of project you can walk in and experience and hoping we'll be there for a long time. >> this is the first farther easy way of going to spaces i

didn't know how it is really cool it would be and we're forced to be in the moment when we're test and creating something really cool. >> makes us feel good. >> as far (unintelligible) done all temporary and took them down i like the temporary aspect base (unintelligible) (microphone distorted) not permanent can enjoy it. >>

>> welcome beviner this meeting will come to order. welcome to the, sorry here, february 26, 2024, regular meeting of the land use and transportation committee of the san francisco board of supervisors. i am supervisor melgar, chair of the committee joined by president peskin and dean preston. the committee xlerk is john carol and i would also like to