New SF Bay Bridge to be named for Emperor Norton?
There's a move afoot to christen the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge in honor of one of San Francisco's most famous historical residents -- the wildly eccentric Norton I, who dubbed himself the Emperor of the United States and the Protector of Mexico. Last week, Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced the resolution the Board of Supervisors will consider on December 7. His death in 1880 resulted in San Francisco's largest public funeral and his legacy has also become intertwined with gay history, following famed drag queen Jose Sarria's declaration in the 1960s that he was "Empress Jose I, the Widow Norton" (pictured).
San Francisco Examiner
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