A Utah state representative has proposed renaming a Salt Lake City street currently honouring gay rights icon Harvey Milk to commemorate conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was recently killed in the state.
Rep. Trevor Lee (R–16th District) introduced legislation to rename a portion of 900 South—officially designated Harvey Milk Boulevard in 2016—as Charlie Kirk Boulevard. He argues the change would better reflect local significance following Kirk’s death in Utah.
“From the vast majority of Utahns, they would say that Harvey Milk does not have any connection to Utah whatsoever,” Lee told ABC 4. “But Charlie Kirk does now, especially after being assassinated in the state of Utah.”
Kirk, a vocal conservative figure and supporter of former President Donald Trump, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, roughly 55 km southeast of Salt Lake City. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Lee described Kirk’s death as “a senseless act against someone who sought dialogue across political lines.”
“It’s extremely sad that someone was assassinated because they wanted to have dialogue and someone didn’t agree with that,” he said. “I think it’s a good way to honour someone who always wanted to reach out to the other side of the aisle.”
Local Jurisdiction Likely to Decide
Although Lee introduced the proposal at the state level, any official renaming of 900 South falls under the jurisdiction of Salt Lake City Council, not the state legislature, due to municipal law. Harvey Milk Boulevard was established nearly a decade ago to honour Milk’s historic activism as one of America’s first openly gay elected officials, assassinated in San Francisco in 1978.
Political Backlash and LGBTQ+ Tensions
Lee insists the effort is about paying tribute to Kirk, not erasing Milk’s legacy. However, critics argue the move continues a pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from the lawmaker.
Earlier this year, Lee sponsored legislation—now in effect—that bans the display of Pride flags in Utah schools and government buildings. In June, he wrote online that “Utahns overwhelmingly don’t support Pride Month” and hinted at further laws aimed at so-called “woke groups.” The comments were shared from a now-deleted X (formerly Twitter) account.
The proposal has already stirred debate over LGBTQ+ recognition, public commemoration, and the politicisation of shared spaces. Whether Salt Lake City Council will take up the issue remains uncertain.
