A Republican Utah lawmaker introduced a bill to the state legislature, which would rename a road that pays tribute to gay rights activist Harvey Milk to instead honor
State Rep. Trevor Lee said that a portion of 900 South that runs through Salt Lake City, should be changed to Charlie Kirk Boulevard because he has a far greater connection to Utah than Milk.
From the vast majority of Utahns, they would say that Harvey Milk does not have any connection to Utah whatsoever,” Lee told a local ABC outlet this week. “But Charlie Kirk does now, especially after being assassinated in the state of Utah.”
Kirk was assassinated on September 10 at Utah Valley University, which is 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Prior to being flown home to Phoenix, Arizona, via Air Force Two in accompaniment of Vice President J.D. Vance, Kirk’s body was taken to the state capital while awaiting transport. Aside from Kirk’s assassination, he did not have any known ties to the Beehive state.
“It’s extremely sad that someone was assassinated because they wanted to have dialogue and someone didn’t agree with that,” Lee said. “So they chose to murder him, and there’s no need for that in this environment. And so I think it’s a good way to honor someone who always wanted to try to have discourse, and try to reach out to the other side of the aisle on different opinions.”
In 2016, the Salt Lake City Council voted to name a portion of 900 South after Milk, who (like Kirk) was assassinated in 1978 at the age of 46 years old. Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Lee said that his bill is not meant to be a knock at Milk. However, the lawmaker sponsored a bill banning Pride flags from school and government buildings.
“Utahns overwhelmingly don’t support Pride month,” Lee wrote on X. “Watch for some significant legislation this next session that pushes back onto these woke groups!”
In June, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to instead honor Oscar V. Peterson, a recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Hegseth’s renaming of the naval ship is a part of his broader effort to rid the military of any “woke” ideology.
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