San Francisco Proclaims It Is “Open to All”

Businesses and Elected Officials Across San Francisco Pledge to Take a Stand Against Discrimination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Calla Rongerude, Campaign Manager, Open to All^® calla@opentoall.com | 415.205.2420

Clair Farley, Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Executive Director, Office of Transgender Initiatives clair.farley@sfgov.org | 415.671.3071

(San Francisco, March 12, 2019)—Today, the city of San Francisco issued an official proclamation declaring it is an Open to All^® city, pledging to welcome everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion or disability. Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman announced via an official proclamation that the city was joining the national Open to All^® public education campaign. Open to All^® unites and galvanizes national leaders in business, civic engagement, and the nonprofit sector to take a stand for the shared American values of fairness and equality—and supports the bedrock principle that when businesses open their doors to the public, they should be Open to All^®.

To commemorate the occasion, Mayor Breed and Supervisor Mandelman hosted a kick-off event in Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro District of San Francisco featuring elected officials from across the city, community leaders, and business owners who have signed the Open to All^® business pledge.

“San Francisco has a long history of standing united to advance the national dialogue around acceptance, civil rights, and human rights,” said Mayor London N. Breed. “The Open to All^® campaign is about reinforcing our values and stating that no matter who you are, where you have come from, or who you love, you are welcome here in San Francisco.”

In addition to Yelp, which debuted an “Open to All” attribute in July 2018, Open to All^® includes national business leaders such as Gap Inc., Marriott International Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., and Lyft, as well as nearly 4,000 businesses large and small across the country. Open to All^® also includes nonprofit leaders such as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, MALDEF, the Anti-Defamation League, NAACP-LDF, and the ACLU; and, more than 200 nonprofit members spanning civil rights and racial justice organizations; LGBT equality organizations; health and disability organizations; faith organizations; and more.

“By joining Open to All^®, the City of San Francisco is continuing its leadership in diversity and inclusion,” said Open to All^® Campaign Manager Calla Rongerude. “Civic and businesses leaders are committing to make residents and visitors alike feel safe and welcome regardless of who they are.”

The Open to All^® campaign, in partnership with the City of San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the San Francisco Department of Transgender Initiatives, Mayor London Breed, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman are calling on businesses across the city to sign the Open to All^® business pledge and join the effort. Businesses that take the pledge are featured publicly on the Open to All^® website.

“I am proud to say that Paper Tree has always been an ‘Open to All’ business,” said Linda Mihara, owner of Paper Tree, a small business in San Francisco. “Since we opened in 1968, we’ve celebrated the diversity of both Japantown and the Fillmore. For these 50 plus years, we have enjoyed introducing origami to San Francisco and the world—an art form that knows no racial or gender boundaries. We welcome all who visit this wonderful city to come to Japantown and visit Paper Tree, one of San Francisco’s Legacy Businesses!”

Mayor Breed and Supervisor Mandelman joined elected officials across the city to support Open to All^®. In addition, Supervisor Mandelman encouraged his fellow supervisors to vote to approve a resolution declaring San Francisco is Open to All^® at tonight’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting.

“San Francisco has a proud reputation as a city welcoming to all in search of acceptance, refuge, and opportunity,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “But even in cities like ours with strong nondiscrimination laws in place, people continue to face hostility in everyday situations. Nobody should have to fear being denied service at a restaurant or a safe ride home just because of who they are. By declaring our city Open to All^®, we are sending a strong message that discrimination will not be tolerated here.”

Businesses can join Open to All^® and sign the pledge at www.opentoall.com/business-pledge.

Click here or more information about the San Francisco kick-off event.