Harvey Milk Boulevard targeted in latest Anti-LGBTQ+ push by Utah Rep. Trevor Lee

Utah State Representative Trevor Lee (R-Layton), who earlier this year passed a controversial law banning Pride and other identity-based flags from being flown in government buildings and schools, is now setting his sights on Harvey Milk Boulevard, a prominent symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility in Salt Lake City.

On June 13, Lee announced via social media that he intends to propose legislation to rename the street, which was designated in 2016 in honor of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California and an icon of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

“To go in line with this change at the federal level,” Lee wrote on X, “I am going to propose simple easy legislation to change the name of Harvey Milk BLvD in Salt Lake City.”

In a follow-up post, Lee justified the move by making a widely discredited allegation: “Utahn’s [sic] don’t want streets named after pedophiles.”

His comment prompted swift backlash from LGBTQ+ organizations, local officials, and community members, who condemned the attempt to erase queer history and culture under the guise of moral concern.

Milk was assassinated in 1978 while serving as a San Francisco Supervisor. He remains one of the most recognized figures in American LGBTQ+ history. Allegations referenced by Rep. Lee have been widely disputed and criticized as part of long-standing efforts to discredit Milk’s legacy.

A street steeped in symbolism

Harvey Milk Boulevard refers to a 20-block stretch of 900 South in Salt Lake City. It was named after Milk in 2016 through a unanimous vote by the Salt Lake City Council. The move was widely praised by LGBTQ+ advocates and positioned alongside the city’s other honorary civil rights designations, including Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Rosa Parks Blvd, and Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

Community members raised money to fund the street signage, and the renaming ceremony was held on the same day as the Utah Pride Parade. Equality Utah, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, called the renaming “an act of courage and inclusion” at the time.

In recent years, Harvey Milk Boulevard has become a central symbol of LGBTQ+ affirmation in Utah, with many queer-owned businesses, art spaces, and advocacy organizations clustered along or near the route.

Legislation in line with anti-LGBTQ+ record

Lee’s proposed legislation, while not yet formally introduced, is consistent with his legislative record and online rhetoric, which have been overwhelmingly anti-LGBTQ+.

Earlier this year, he successfully passed House Bill 77, which bans the display of LGBTQ+ Pride flags, Black Lives Matter flags, and other “politically expressive” banners in public schools and government buildings. The law permits American, Utah, military, and POW/MIA flags—but critics have pointed out that it does not prohibit Confederate or Nazi flags, leading to widespread criticism of the bill’s intent and impact.

In the months since HB 77 passed, Lee has used social media to campaign against corporate expressions of support for Pride Month, criticizing Utah sports teams like the Utah Jazz, Utah Mammoth, and Real Salt Lake for posting Pride messages.

“Utahns overwhelmingly don’t support pride month,” Lee posted on June 1. “Watch for some significant legislation this next session that pushes back onto these woke groups!”

He has also shared posts suggesting that “Pride is about promoting the social acceptance of gay sex, transgender child mutilation and various other forms of iniquity.”

LGBTQ+ advocates and civil liberties organizations have repeatedly warned that Lee’s language and policies contribute to a hostile environment for queer and trans Utahns, particularly youth.

Community response

Equality Utah, which played a central role in the campaign to designate Harvey Milk Boulevard, responded to Lee’s proposal by calling it “a hostile and intolerant effort to erase LGBTQ+ history.”

“Representative Lee continues to attack the visibility and dignity of Utah’s LGBTQ+ community. Harvey Milk stood for hope and equal rights. His legacy deserves honor, not erasure,” the group’s executive director, Troy Williams, said in a written statement.

Salt Lake City Councilmember Alejandro Puy said on social media: “We are not solving any issues, but creating new ones. Utahns are concerned about real problems — not symbolic vendettas.”

The ACLU of Utah, which has opposed Lee’s previous legislation, reiterated that efforts to remove LGBTQ+ symbols from public spaces are “not about neutrality — they’re about control.”

What happens next?

As of this writing, Rep. Lee has not introduced a formal bill regarding Harvey Milk Boulevard. It is also unclear whether such a bill would have support among the Utah Legislature’s leadership. A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Schultz declined to comment.

Under Utah law, cities maintain control over local street naming and honorary designations. However, the Legislature could attempt to override or impose restrictions through legislative action, especially if the street is part of a state-managed roadway.

Lee’s proposal fits into a nationwide trend of conservative lawmakers targeting LGBTQ+ symbols, school curricula, and cultural institutions. Across the U.S., Pride flags have become flashpoints in ongoing debates over the visibility and legitimacy of LGBTQ+ people in public life.