and speaker of the house nancy pelosi, have a letter i'd like the read from her. friends, we proudly gather today with city officials, community leaders and the q found diagnosis dedicate this historic building as the gilbert baker rainbow flag apartments. referencing the importance to san francisco and the lgbt communities. it is my regret that i could not be with you today. just a few blocks from here, gilbert baker created the now iconic rainbow flag by hand and it was outside of this building where the flag proudly flew. it is my privilege to represent san francisco with its large lgbt community. we're a city that thrives because of its diversity and take great pride in the innumerable contributions that the lgbtq community make to our great city and country. by hanging the rainbow flag once again, we affirm our connection to the acceptance of the lgbtq community. we honor gilbert's memory and legacy by dedicating this

building in his name. when gilbert created the rainbow flag, he generously chose not to trademark it because he recognized its symbolism and knew it should be accessible to everyone to show their pry. this month, millions of lgbtq americans march through the streets with pride, celebrating the beautiful diversity and best regards, nancy pelosi. [applause]

>> our next speaker is a person of considerable distinction. in 1969, he was the first single adult in america to adopt a child. the fact that he did that as a gay man is really profound. he was also or tainted by mayor gavin newsome and has the distinction of marrying the most number of couples during the summer of love at city hall. he is the original owner of the rainbow flag apartments. he was the one who put up the name rainbow flag, who put up the flag itself and also as i said before, he was the one that gave us a chance. he said yes whenever other land lord that we approached in six monthses said no. he then said that's a security come of $3900. [laughter] i did not rob a 7-eleven, but i

got really creative. and that single act of generosity, that single act of saying "yes" changed our lives. and hopefully -- [applause] that we have dedicated the last 15 years to paying that back. [voice breaking] >> phil jones. [cheering] [honking] >> it's nice to be home again. [laughter] i know you guys are so hot. can you get in the shade, at least? i feel so sorry for you. yeah. i got -- i would like the give

you a little history of it. this whole block was owned by hastings law school. and they wanted to tear down the buildings and build an extension of the law school. the city said no, we need the housing. so, they sold this apartment to me and two others on mcallister side to somebody else. i know how you feel. [laughter] it is an emotional thing. so the first thing i did, i painted the building and put in new carpets and everything and the tenants were worried sick that i was going to raise their rent. and then i did something absolutely horrible. [rustling noise] [applause] i did this. [cheering] [applause]

and -- so then the tenants wrote in this little neighborhood paper. perhaps the greatest indication of the change overtaking the west block in the wake of the change of landlords is that the apartment building at 324 street is now called the rainbow flag apartments. it's a pretty silly name for a building with lousy wiring -- [laughter] i love that. the flag that you see here didn't always just fly from the fire escape. i erected a 50-foot flagpole for one reason. that building wasn't built yet. city hall were putting roller skates under it so in case of an earthquake it could roll back and forth.

the museum was -- the library -- it was a library, right. and so they were changing that and they were building a new library. so i was in this construction and was bound and determined that that flag would fly higher than anything else. and we got it up. four stories and 50 feet and i knew it would be photographed and i wanted us to be a part of what was happening at the civic center. so, that's how that happened. [applause] just one more thing. the flag didn't have an ending when i took it down. oh, i sold the building to an arab. the first thing he did, took off the letters. and i took down the flag. so i gave the flag to the university of pacific. they had a gay-lesbian alliance there.

and the flag disappeared. they found it later in a latrine covered with urine. well that just -- when that word got out, hundreds and hundreds of students in pacific had a rally and thousands of people in stockton came down to protest what had happened to that flag. so it now hangs in the rainbow resource and study room. which i donated to university pacific. i copied the one that is in the library here. so, anyway, i feel vindicated. i feel absolutely wonderful about this. thank you so much. [applause]

>> next up is one of my personal heroes. one of the national leaders for lesbian-gay-transgender and one of the architects of marriage equality, kate kendall. >> good afternoon. i'm going to stay the obvious. is this not the best of san francisco right here? [applause] i mean -- when i came to san francisco in 1994 from utah, i fell like i had arrived in oz. and to see -- to hear different languages spoken on muni, to walk down the street and see a diversity of the beautiful

humanity of this city just meant so much to me and i know we've had some challenges recently in recent years. people have given a knock to san francisco. it's not the same place it used to be. the mayor talked about the challenges. but you know what? this is who san francisco is. this is who san francisco is. and i want to really do a shout-out to brian basinger. so brian -- [applause] brian, at huge personal sacrifice, that very few of us -- and i mean us -- would have ever made has made the leaves and the futures of thousands of people richer with dignity and depth in a way they could have never imagined. i adore you. i love you. thank you for everything you've done. [applause]

and then finally, i just want us to move forward as i see ken will be up here in a second and deborah walker and so many people that i know here. we're in a perilous moment. we all get that. we were in a toxic moment. we're in a dangerous moment. we're in a moment where so many communities are terrified. but you know what? this is an example of the muscle memory we have of how we get through a moment like this. san francisco has been through this before many, many times. we know how to traverse this and the way we traverse this is by locking arms and saying no way, mother [beep] you're not getting through them without coming through us. and that -- >> whew! >> that is what this moment demands and what typifies brian's leadership. i'm so happy you're all here. happy to look arms with you. thank you so much.

[applause] >> so, the history of the closet did not let any light in. there was no light to illuminate our history. so much of it went unwritten. unrecorded, unacknowledged and unknown. our elders are our historians. they're the ones that keep the flame alive, that tell us how it was back in the day and teach us how to navigate the world with grace, dignity and a little bit of fearness. fierceness. we are so lucky to have one of our own to come and tell the tales and my dear colleague and friend, ken jones. [applause] >> thank you so much for inviting me here this afternoon to talk about the rainbow flag

and to let you know that your dues are due. all protest movements rely on symbols, boycotts, strikes, sit-ins and flags. this is an everyday complacency and forces us to think. today that flag embraces us and covers us. it keeps our fragile coalition together and moving forward and you know what? as a movement, we're old enough, mature enough and wise enough to know that that rainbow flag is our symbol, our hope and our future that speaks volumes. it says that fragile coalitions are possible. that we can stay together and

work together. that we can make this a better place not only for those who are witnessed now, but for all those who will walk these paths in the future. that rainbow flag represents our membership and belonging in the community of lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender, intersex queer, questioning, two spirited and our allies. so look at your neighbor and tell 'em your dues are due. one of the more importantless -- important lessons i've learned on this journey is legislation, proclamations and executive orders, they cannot and they do not change people's hearts. we change people's hearts not

through any herculean interventions, no we change people's hearts when we are present, when we are authentic and when we are transparent and those are your dues -- to be present, authentic and transparent. you see, i'm getting old and i'm getting tired and i'm getting weary. of trusting the system for the change that is not happening. the change that is not coming. the change that is not on the way. no doubt about it, your dues are due until our 8 and 10-year-olds stop taking their lives because they can't deal with the bullying. our dues are due. until our transgender people of color can walk up and down any streets in this nation, unharmed. your dues are due. until all lgbtq folks are no

longer attacked on the streets of san francisco, your dues are due. [applause] your dues are due until we cross that finish line. arm in arm together under our rainbow flag. your dues are due. thank you. [applause] >> so, our event today happens to coincide with the big meeting at the board of supervisors. so, rafael mandelman, has anyone seen him? he is not here. ok. there is a good chance he was going to get stuck at the board of supervisors. so i'm sure -- yay! good job. [laughter] so many of you know me. some of you have read about me.

i have a reputation. that i've earned and i'm proud of. [laughter] >> some of it's true! >> and most of it's true. [laughter] so i've wanted this day to happen for ovr 10 years and almost everybody at city hall knows about it because it is all i talk about. for 10 years. i'm going to get that flag back one day. i'm getting that name back one day. and so credit needs to go where credit is due. and, you know, really want to thank the workers of veritas who helped put this together. you know, especially danielle washington. >> whew! [applause] >> there was a true spirit of joy in this. that you could see it in people's faces and the wae they showed up to support this.

it was genuine and, if i was the boss, i'd give them all a big pat on the back. and here to do that is the new owner of this building. [applause] >> thank you, brian. really appreciate this. i'm so honored and humbled to be here today representing the veritas team and all of our partners as well, too. it's really touching to meet bill, the original owner of this building i thought it was a great opportunity to rekindle and look at what he was able to do with that photo of draping the rainbow flag across this building. we had no idea that this building was where the rainbow flag was part of its home as well, too. if you look up, you'll see that that flag is raised up high and proud for everyone to see. you'll see this flag right here as well, too. and we feel so proud and privileged to be stewards of this building for all.

moving forward as well. we have a plaque there as well, too. and there is a little bit of old and new here. so, while we're respecting and harkening the old, what we're renaming and recristening this building as rainbow flag apartment, we have a q.r. code to learn a little bit about the history of what happened here as well. [applause] so, it is really a real privilege. thank you, guys, for having uss here and really on behalf of the veritas team, it is such an honor to re-raise the flag. such an honor to recristen this building as one of the homes of the rainbow flag which, to us, symbolizes diversity and inclusion for all. again, on behalf of all of our team members as well as partners, proud to raise our hand and raise a flag. so, thank you. >> now i'm taking off my brian basinger executive director of

the q foundation hat and putting on my faint ruby slippers moniker. no dedication would be complete without the blessing and invocation of the sisters of perpetual indulgence. [cheering] this is your moment, ladies. >> we're so -- we're so proud that brian is one of our saints. and we honor the work that he has done for sisters and everybody else in the community. he is a great force to be reckoned with. and now we're going to channel the fierce energy of one of our sisters, sister chanel, number 2001, gilbert baker. [applause] to keep the demons at bay and make this a sacred space. may the saints and the sinners

who have gone before hear our petition. >> may the hungry be fed and the homeless housed. [applause] >> may the outcast find a chosen family and the misfit find a fit. [applause] >> may we honor those among us on their own path, taking the road less traveled. [applause] >> may we correct and admonish our peers with represent and love and may we receive correction with dignity and openness. >> may the divine in me see the divine in you, not the holy divine the actress. [laughter] >> may we be known for radical inclusion of the other and may we call bullshit on the exclusive, the clique, the no blacks, no asians among us. [applause] [cheering] to the she, to the he and to

the they, as it was in the beginning and it is now and will be forever, all men, all women and all the others! [applause] >> that concludes our ceremony today. everyone is invited down to the auditorium at 5:30 just down here at the main library. where gilbert baker's posthumous memoirs, his tell-all with all the dirt and all the dish is going to be for sale. [laughter] thank you, everybody! [applause]

supporters of the eagle plaza. [cheers and applause]

this morning, i was honored, my business partner, mike leon. on this historic day. i want to take the warmest welcome possible to the honorable mayor london breed, supervisor haney, supervisor mandelman. the greatest community, members of the leather and lgbt cultural district and the friends of eagle plaza. we're all here today after a long road. great accomplishments. eagle plaza started as an idea. six years ago my business

partner and i met, built and have a conversation about breaking ground for construct, where we floated idea of the construction of the plaza. between the san francisco eagle bar and the construction. a plaza unique to the world that will honor the leather and lgbt communities, serve as a focal part for them to have events. and now this idea is about to come true. it's fitting this was elected for the first public plaza dedicated to the leather community. it's been the home for this community for decades. a special thanks to supervisor haney and mandelman for introducing and pushing forward the legislation to permit the

construction of eagle plaza. [cheers and applause] without their efforts, eagle plaza would still remain as an idea. i would like to thank all of those who contributed financially to eagle plaza and to my eagle family for their support. and, of course, the most special thanks to mayor breed, who removed road blocks, constantly moved the project forward to where we're here today at the ground-breaking of eagle plaza. i would like you to extend the warmest welcome to our mayor, london breed. [cheers and applause] >> >> mayor breed: thank you so much. i am so excited to be here today. we're going to have one of the most beautiful plazas in san francisco. i remember when it first became

mayor and i knew that this idea had started over six years ago when state senator scott wiener was on the board of supervisors and i know a lot of the work he did helped to get us to this place. but i was really frustrated over the two years of bureaucracy. we already had the support. we already had the plan. and the city bureaucracy continued to delay this project. so two years delay was just really unacceptable. so when i first became mayor, i made this one of my first directives and we got the approvals done in three months. so i'm really proud -- [applause] -- that we were able to work together to accomplish that goal. in addition to that, because this was such an amazing community-driven project, $200,000 from the community college grant was made possible to help fund this project.

the work from build inc. and i want to thank lauren seguin for being here, as well as the folks from the park alliance and the friends of eagle plaza, you all came together to make this incredible project possible. and i also would like to say a special thank you to senator scott wiener who put $100,000 in the state budget so we can have the additional support that we need. but here's the good news. we know that there is still a $50,000 funding gap and so that we can focus on the work and not on the resources needed to get the work done, i work with supervisor mandelman to come up with the $50,000 that we need to get this project done. [cheers and applause] >> mayor breed: so to the folks

of the leather and the lgbt community and this cultural district that was made possible for the purposes of celebration coming together. and in the spirit of pride month here in san francisco that celebrates inclusiveness and love and all great things we are here in our great city, i would like to say congratulations and thank you all for your hard work. i know when this plaza is completed, it's going to be used by so many people, to hang out, drink coffee, read, and celebrate and all the great things we do that make san francisco such a unique and special place for people to visit and live here. thank you, all, so much. [applause] >> now i'd like to present a

very special award that the san francisco eagle bar to a very special person. this is called the leather feather. and it's given in recognition of someone who not only has supported the leather community in a special way, but performed extraordinary service in doing so. so for making eagle plaza a reality, eagle bar is honored to present the leather feather to the san francisco mayor london breed. >> mayor breed: thank you. >> thank you so much. >> mayor breed: thank you. [applause] >> i want to have you guys now with bob, the chair of the leather and lgbt cultural district. [applause]

>> i am proud to be here for this historic event and the leather district is delighted to have the eagle plaza in our district. and we look forward to its use as a gathering point in the district. i have the honor of introducing rafael mandelman, the district supervisor and native san franciscan. he supported the leather community even before he ran for supervisor and can be seen in local venues periodically. [laughter] now he's reaching out beyond his district's boundaries to take real action to help make spaces like the eagle plaza come into being. his actions to make spaces for leather communities will keep this neighborhood's historic vibrant which will help perpetuate the city as a city for tolerance and acceptance. with that, i present to you rafael mandelman. [applause]

>> supervisor mandelman: good morning, everybody. this is such a wonderful morning and as i look out at this crowd of gorgeous people who are doing amazing things in our city for so many causes and communities. i see race bannon. race always deserves a round of applause. [applause] san francisco is a city that does not forget its history. we build on our history. we celebrate our history and make new things happen next to old things and that is part of the magic of the city. and i'm so pleased that this plaza is -- as the mayor said, it took a little longer than would have been ideal, but it is now finally happening. i want to say just a few -- maybe a year ago, or a couple of years ago, we were worried about whether there even would be an eagle, right? more than a few years ago, but the community came together and

city hall responded and now not only is the eagle still here, it's still a place to enjoy on sunday afternoons and all the time. and thank you so much, lex and mike, but now we have not only the eagle, but this amazing plaza coming here. so thank you, all, for coming out. thank you all for coming out. but have a very, very happy pride. [applause] >> thank you, supervisor mandelman. i now have the proud honor of introducing district 6 supervisor matt haney. i met matt when he reached out to the leather and lgbt district when running for office. he expressed support for our community then and is following through with his action. it's these spaces that form a

community and those spaces for the leather and lgbtq communities are under constant threat in this neighborhood. matt haney is not only talking about preserving the culture here, he's sponsoring legislation to preserve the spaces that make soma a destination for people across the country and around the world. the fact that he is here today showing support for the eagle plaza is one sign of his commitment to the communities. with that, i present to you supervisor haney. >> supervisor haney: thank you, bob. well, i want to say this one more time. this is going to be the world's first public plaza dedicated to the leather community. isn't that incredible? world first. and not only is it the world's first public plaza dedicated to the leather community, it is in the world's first cultural district dedicated to the lgbtq

community. give it up for that as well. bob, tremendous leadership. i want to thank all of you who worked hard to make this happen. sf parks alliance, mayor breed, supervisor mandelman, senator wiener. this is an extraordinary effort that made this happen. far too often the things that make this city wonderful, the things that built this culture, created our identity, the institutions, the businesses, are the ones that are constantly under attack. and sadly that's been the case here in western soma as well for the leather community. and with what we're doing today, the city is finally saying, not only are we going to preserve those institutions and that culture, we're going to celebrate it, have a permanent home for it in our city and we're going to do it in western soma. there is no west soma without the leather community.

i'm excited about the future of this plaza for a number of reasons. also because we need more open space in this part of the city. soma and west soma has some of the least amount of open space, parks, places for people to relax, to bring their dogs, hang out. and i know this can be an extraordinary open space. i may not have been to many leather events, but i have been here for the beer bust a couple of weeks ago. and this is a community that knows how to come together to have a good time. i want to give a shoutout to a group of people. i want to shout out to the construction workers behind us, who are actually going to build this thing. for all of their hard work, we're going to put on hard hats, but they do the work every day. thank you so much. t thank you all for being here. we'll champion the leather

district, the eagle and the plaza. thank you, all, for being here. >> good morning, everyone. my name is victor, i'm the communications director for senator scott wiener. this is a project he has spent a lot of energy working with lex and mike for the last six years to make this happen. he was very proud to get in the budget $100,000 to help make this a reality. [applause] i want to thank mayor london breed as well for her continued support of the plaza, as well as supervisor mandelman and haney. the leather community has always played an important role in the lgbtq community. at the height of the h.i.v. epidemic, the community stepped up to raise funds for h.i.v. care, research and care for the

entire community and continues to do that to this day. this plaza will serve to commemorate that and to continue to allow that work to happen. i want to thank you all for being here today and all of you that helped make this happen today. thank you so much. [applause] i'd like to bring up lauren from build inc. >> thanks. i don't know where to start. i mean, so many aspects of this are important. people think of us as developers, but really we're urban place-makers and this exemplifies the work that is important to us, every project we do. the neighborhood makes its place and has influence on what we can do there. so this is amazing. for my partners, on behalf of my partners, our whole build group, the team at the office, this is the work that is meaningful,

rewarding and just makes it all worth while. so thanks to mayor breed, to supervisor mandelman, haney, lex and the whole community to help make this happen. it takes a village and this is our village. thank you. let's dig dirt and make it happen! [applause] we have shovels right here. let's go dig. >> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! turn that dirt! woo hoo! [applause] love that. that's a great shot. thank you. a.

gil [♪] >> come on. let's say it for a little bit. are we excited? are we excited? doesn't this room look amazing? >> the hon. london breed: we're all here today for so many

reasons. look to your left, look to your right and realize we are here today as family, as a strong community. are we invincible? are we invincible? my name is latifa, and i cannot wait to go. i cannot wait to be a part of this amazing day, this amazing experience, and to me, to many of you all, this is not about networking. this is about an opportunity for women to understand that we are not alone, and we can correct collective solutions -- create collective solutions to so many of the ills we face. in this room, there are folks from every sector. folks in finance and medicine, and i believe before we leave

today, there will be new coalitions developed, there will be no partnerships developed, and new sisterships created. am i right? are we invincible? [applause] >> i have no doubt that the collective strength in this room can heal the ills in san francisco but the world. we're here today to create new answers, to build on new possibilities, and to have a lot of fun. are we ready to have a lot of fun? so i don't know if you know, but i've been to events that mayor london breed has done, even when we were growing up in the fillmore, so get ready. to kick off this morning, i have a special treat for you. you know, when young women get together, not only do they express their collective

brilliance, but they bring electricity to the room. say it with me. girl brigade. girl brigade is an amazing performance group working to develop and empower girls in san francisco. take it away, sisters. [performance] [♪]

>> we are girls, growing into women, your daughters, your daughters on this earth. in the cities, in the villages, in the towns, we are here. we are here in the scent of a flower, in the living rainbow of light, on every blade of grass and every ray of the sun. on every grain of the sand and every drop of rain, and in the heat of the morning sun. we are girls, growing into women, vast as the ocean and

plains. growing into women, growing into articulate, wide-eyed, true time wonderful women. [♪]

[applause] >> wow, girl brigade, you provided us with so much more of a performance. the drum reminds us who we are. culture, performance, lineage,

they brought that to the center. and reminds us of who we are coming to the four corners of earth means who we are. it's living the promise of our heritage. give it up one more time for girl brigade. [applause] >> so i have this very difficult job. in two minutes, i have to introduce someone who requires no introduction, and yet, i was given this intensively difficult task. mayor london breed. [applause] >> so i have a lot of cards here where i'm supposed to go

down and talk about her amazing accomplishments. i'm going to tell you a few. i should not use the cards, right? i should just tell you about this woman because she's my friend. but every women in the crowd is like, but she's my friend, too. she's a daughter of san francisco. come on, give it up. [applause] >> why it's so timely that she brought us all here today, it's like many young girls from all over the city who get on a muni bus -- when i was little, i used to see london getting on a muni bus. we were both young women living in the fillmore. she showed us it's not about love of man, it's about love of community service.

when london breed ran for her district, every single day, she made sure the children in those hauls had everything they needed, and can i say, she has brought that vigor to city hall. over the years, you would see her around the community, at baby showers, at graduations, making sure her community had opportunities to thrive and opportunities to stay together. she has taken that love to city hall. what's important about today and what's going to be important about us living in that same inspiration is that we have a mayor of this city that we love. she is a daughter of the city but she is a promise of what is

possible, of what's possible. i can go on and on, but this woman, to me, i am inspired by her. i love her, and she is everything that we need as our city's commander-in-chief. london breed. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: good morning, ladies, and good morning, men. i know it's a few of you here today. thank you all so much for joining us. you know, when i became mayor of san francisco, i knew it was going to be a challenging job.

i knew that we have pressing issues that we face in the city around homelessness, affordability, around transportation, and making sure that we continue to grow and provide opportunities in this city, especially to the next generation. i knew those challenges were ahead, but i also knew there'd be days like this. i knew there'd be days like this where we can come together, women from all over san francisco, from the richmond to the sunset to the bayview to the fillmore to the lakeview and every place in between for the sole purpose of talking about how we as women, together, can be invincible. today, it's about finding our strength. it's about putting forward our

best selves. it's about also, in the process, lifting one another up. you know, i was so fortunate to live in a community where yes, i had a tough community that raised me, and miss brown was invincible because miss brown didn't play. she made you do your homework, she made you clean your house, she made you come in at a certain time. as a kid, i don't think, i don't want to do it, i don't want to do it. you don't realize that she's doing it because she cares, because she loves you, and because she wants the very best for you. people in our community who told us what to do, they wanted the very best in us. and part of what i'm so fortunate about is i really understand and appreciate the value of what that means for

the next generation. you know, i'm really excited to be the second woman mayor of san francisco and the first african-american woman to serve in this capacity. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: but i'll tell you, it's not just about being in this position as a woman, it's also about the opportunity of opening the doors for other women to lead this city, as well. since i've taken office, i've been able to appoint some incredible women to elected office, including the board of supervisors, school, and community college board. and of the 105 commissioners that i appointed to serve on commissions throughout san francisco, over 50% of those folks are women. [applause] and let

and. >> the hon. london breed: and let me tell you, like the fierce leader of our country, nancy pelosi, will be here today, and valerie jarrett, who influenced one of obama, she w sometimes influencing barack. today is about inspiration, today is about putting forth our best selves. today is about mentoring, and today is about reaching our best selves. for kaiser permanente, i just want to say thank you for the

incredible sponsorship. i also want to thank our incredible sponsor, susie tompkins-buell and the buell family trust for this summit. thank you to uber and -- i'm trying to remember all of them. there are a lot of them. thank you to the california women's foundation for your work on this summit and for putting it together, as well. so many amazing people, so many incredible sponsors, you'll see them downstairs in the resource fair. the golden state warriors, i know it was hard for us last night, but don't worry. when they move to san francisco, they'll be here, and