Noe Valley Home of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Receives Landmark Designation
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 4 voted to pass an ordinance that will designate 651 Duncan Street the former longtime home of lesbian activists Del Martin (1921–2008) and Phyllis Lyon (1924–2020) a landmark. The decision itself is history-making, marking the first such designation for a property in the western U.S. due to significance primarily concerning the lesbian community.
Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Dean Preston, Aaron Peskin, Ahsha Safai, and Gordon Mar sponsored the ordinance.
Members of our
San Francisco Bay Times team as well as “Betty’s List” fondly remember visits to the Noe Valley home perched atop a steep grade. Del and Phyllis would warmly greet visitors who could include everyone from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to