Posted on 12/20/2004 5:41:42 PM PST by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom may be busy tackling his city's homeless problem and budget deficit these days, but his decision to open City Hall to same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses is still resonating beyond the Golden Gate.
Time Magazine named the 37-year-old Democrat to its list of "People Who Matter," a roster that included John Kerry, Ariel Sharon, Nancy and Ron Reagan, Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and the television show "Desperate Housewives."
The designation followed Newsom's selection as "Person of the Year" by the editors of Planet Out, a San Francisco-based media company that operates gay-oriented Web sites around the world. The award recognizes the individual who most profoundly impacted the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian newsmagazine, also tapped Newsom for its "People of the Year" cover tribute along with fellow mayors Jason West, of New Paltz, N.Y., and Jason Shields of Nyack, N.Y. West followed Newsom's lead and married 25 same-sex couples, while Shields and his partner joined nine other gay couples in suing the state of New York for the right to marry.
Although Time assistant managing editor Lisa Beyer told CNN that the magazine considered making Newsom its "Person of the Year," that honor ended up going to President Bush, the man Newsom credits with escalating the anti-gay rhetoric that inspired his move.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
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