San Francisco has honoured Irish revolutionary and human rights campaigner Roger Casement with a plaque on the city’s prestigious Rainbow Honour Walk.

The tribute, located in the historic Castro District, celebrates notable LGBTQ+ individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to society in fields such as politics, art, science, healthcare and culture. Casement will become the 45th honouree and the second Irish figure to be recognised on the walkway, joining playwright and poet Oscar Wilde.

The commemorative event was supported by the Consulate General of Ireland in San Francisco, the Rainbow Honour Walk and the United Irish Societies of San Francisco. Mayor Daniel Lurie attended the ceremony, paying tribute to Casement’s enduring legacy and the shared values of both Ireland and San Francisco in promoting equality, dignity and justice. “Roger Casement’s life reminds us that courage knows no borders and the duty to defend justice belongs to all of us,” Lurie said.

Casement is widely remembered for his humanitarian work and for his role in the struggle for Irish independence. He gained international recognition for exposing atrocities in the Congo Free State and later in the Amazon, becoming a pioneering figure in global human rights advocacy. His transition from celebrated diplomat to Irish revolutionary underscores a life shaped by a fierce commitment to justice.

 

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Casement also had a deep and influential connection to the United States. Following the outbreak of the First World War, he travelled extensively across the country, raising funds and gathering support for the Irish independence movement. Working closely with leading figures of the Irish-American community, including John Devoy and the organisation Clan na Gael, he helped generate financial and political backing for the Irish Volunteers and their revolutionary aims. His fundraising tours across the US played a crucial role in mobilising international support for the cause.

Today, the Rainbow Honour Walk features 44 plaques celebrating LGBTQ+ pioneers and icons. Casement’s addition as the 45th honouree marks a significant acknowledgement of both his political legacy and his identity. His memory also lives on in San Francisco’s cultural landscape through Casement’s Bar on Mission Street, which proudly displays the only mural of him in the city.

 

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Casement was executed for high treason in August 1916 following his involvement in the Easter Rising and the discovery of the black diaries, which contained personal accounts of Casement’s gay romantic and sexual encounters. Nearly fifty years later, his remains were repatriated to Ireland in 1965, where he received a state funeral. His commemoration in San Francisco further cements his standing as a global figure in the fight for freedom, dignity and human rights.