Pelosi Statement on Passing of Wayne Friday

"Today, San Francisco has lost a pioneering fighter for LGBT rights, a beloved journalist, and a dear friend.  Time and again, on issue after issue, Wayne Friday was an early voice of vision and conscience urging a way forward for our city and for America.

"Whenever it was hardest to speak out, Wayne Friday stepped forward.  Wayne's advocacy and leadership constantly improved our community, whether he was advising Harvey Milk, writing his incisive column for the Bay Area Reporter or working to diversify the ranks of the SFPD.  Both behind-the-scenes and on the front lines of the struggle, Wayne was a champion for pride and progress who laid the foundation for many of the transformational victories for LGBT Americans we have celebrated in recent years.

"Wayne was an irreplaceable San Francisco figure, but he leaves us a living legacy that resounds in the pride in our community and in the generations of advocates he mentored.  Everyone who was lucky enough to know Wayne was enriched by the quality of his friendship and the strength of his character.  May it be a comfort to his family and loved ones that so many in our city, and beyond, join in mourning the passing of this extraordinary man."