Support A Plaque For Italian Hero Mario Mieli

Help Us Honor Mario Mieli — Italian LGBTQ+ Trailblazer

Mario Mieli was a visionary — a fearless writer, activist, and philosopher who helped ignite Italy’s LGBTQ+ liberation movement. He challenged norms, defied expectations, and gave voice to a community long silenced. Now, we have a chance to honor his legacy where it matters most — in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District, alongside other giants of LGBTQ+ history.

The Rainbow Honor Walk, a nonprofit in San Francisco, has installed 44 bronze sidewalk plaques celebrating LGBTQ+ heroes from around the world. This year, we are proud to announce that Mario Mieli will be the first Italian to receive this honor.

But we need your help to make it happen.

Mieli was bold, brilliant, and unapologetically himself. At just 30 years old, he had already founded Italy’s first major gay liberation organization, written the landmark book Homosexuality and Liberation: Elements of a Gay Critique, and brought queer theory to the global stage before the term even existed.

Let’s make sure his name — and the movement he helped shape — are never forgotten.

A Note to Our Italian Friends:

This is your chance to help place one of Italy’s most important LGBTQ+ pioneers on a global stage. The plaque will be located near the intersection of LGBTQ+ activism and visibility — a symbolic reminder of the global fight for equality.

No donation is too small. All money received will will go into the Rainbow Honor Walk general fund and goes toward the fabrication and installation of plaques for all of the honorees. We are an all volunteer board with no paid employees and very low administrative costs. Almost all of your donation goes toward honoring LGBTQ heroes.

Join us. Be part of history. Help honor Mario Mieli.