Monday, September 05, 2011

Honoring 9/11 Hero Mark Bingham,
Sept 11 at 1PM, Milk Plaza Rainbow Flag

(Bingham having fun with anti-gay protesters at Southern Decadence in New Orleans, shortly before he died. Credit: Quartknee.)

The Bay Area's wonderfully diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will gather at the base of the Castro's iconic rainbow flag in Harvey Milk Plaza on September 11 at 1 PM for a remembrance ceremony honoring gay hero Mark Bingham, who died on United Flight 93 when it crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside ten-years ago.

The merchants organization that temporarily controls the flag, after community pressure was applied, has agreed to lower it all-day next Sunday but have not said when the lowering will take place.

My friend and longtime community photographer Bill Wilson and I are organizing several components to pay tribute to Bingham and all who died on 9/11.

In the small garden surrounding the base of the flagpole, laminated photos of Bingham and gay priest Mychal Judge, who died near the World Trade Center, will be on display as well as a 6x4 foot New York flag donated by gay Sen. Tom Duane.

Large remembrance books will be available for people to write notes and prayers. Candles will flicker and offer hope for a more tolerant and accepting world of all peoples. Folks are encouraged to bring poems, flowers, rugby equipment, laminated photos, and other items linked to Bingham and 9/11.

We will also have an open mic speak out and are strongly requesting that all speakers stay focused on remembering people killed on 9/11, what Bingham and Judge mean to them today, and how to honor the nearly 3,000 people who died on that tragic day.

Please plan to join us on September 11 starting at 1:00 PM at Castro and Market Streets. Updates to come in the next few days, as people either endorse the event or other elements fall into place adding to the special occasion at the base of the flag pole.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

is the dog run at the Eureka Valley Rec Center named after Mark?

Unknown said...

i don't know, but there is a memorial plaque to him inside the rec center on the first floor.