‘Rainbow Walk’ Proposed along Castro Street

Isak Lindenauer stands in his 19th Street antiques store. Lindenauer is looking for neighborhood
support to construct the Rainbow Honor Walk to commemorate historical LGBT figures.

By Ted Andersen

Support for a Castro monument in the tradition of the Hollywood Walk of Fame is rising like a star thanks to the efforts of two longtime neighborhood residents.

The Rainbow Honor Walk, as it has been dubbed, is a plan to create a path of plaques embedded in the sidewalk along Castro Street. Isak Lindenauer, a 30-year-plus neighborhood antiques merchant, has spearheaded the plan. “Once this idea started inside of me, I thought it was too important not to address,” he said. “When I started writing, I came up with 50 names. Then I came up with 50 more.”

He said the Rainbow Honor Walk would create awareness of people whose true identities had been obscured in history, along with bolstering community pride and increasing commerce.
“LGBT people are not celebrated. That is why it’s important we name the names,” he said.

He first spoke to his neighbor, Allan Baird, a retired-teamster and union organizer, who helped kickstart the idea by directing Lindenauer to political leaders such as State Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor Bevan Dufty and community organizations such as the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC). The process started in February, and Lindenauer first began speaking at community meetings in March. Since then, he said, the project has received nothing but 100 percent support.

Similar ideas have been presented in the past. Long-time Castro resident and host of the LGBT TV show “10 Percent” David Perry pushed for a similar project in 1996. However, HIV concerns began to take center stage for public projects, and the funding was not made available.

“I remember thinking to myself,” said Perry, “‘this is a great idea, and one-day, it will come about if the community finds it of use and of interest.’ So, it was with great enthusiasm that I read about Isak’s proposal for a similar ‘Rainbow Walk.’ It would seem that separated by 13 years, great gay minds do think alike!”

Perry said that he and Lindenauer met several times and will be co-chairing an advisory group, along with speaking with neighborhood groups, community organizations and members of city government.

“Such a permanent walk would not only pay tribute to our heroes, but bring tourism and economic benefit to the Castro. With the success of the film ‘Milk,’ now seems the perfect time to honor those people who have walked-the-walk for LGBT rights by virtue of their very own ‘walk’ of fame,” Perry said.

Even though the community and the planning agencies would decide the location of the monument, Lindenauer stressed that he would like to see it run on Castro Street between 19th and Market streets, including in front of Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy.

“That’s where it all started with Harvey,” he said. “When it comes down to it, though, it will have to be decided by our community. I’m just one voice.”

Though the idea will need more energy behind it to hurdle through the political process to become reality, he mentioned that the Castro Benefits District plans to expand the sidewalk on Market Street as part of a general beautification plan, which may provide a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

“This seems like a real opportunity to make this a reality,” Lindenauer said.

He said the next step is to meet with the board of supervisors and the mayor.

Members of the public can inquire about the Rainbow Honor Walk by e-mailing Lindenauer at a special account he created for this issue:
rainbowhonorwalk@gmail.com.

Copyright 2009 Castro Courier