In 2019, the Council of Paris decided to pay homage to the late San Francisco politician and pioneer of gay rights Harvey Milk.

[2] The same day, the city of Paris also honoured the American artist Gilbert Baker, gay rights activist, creator of the Rainbow Flag and friend of Harvey Milk, with an official plaque in his memory at the nearby Place des Émeutes-de-Stonewall.

[3] The square stands 100m from the Paris City Hall, the seat of the Council of Paris, whose members voted to pay tribute to their late counterpart from San Francisco, who was assassinated in November 1978.

[4] Looking from the place Harvey Milk towards the Hôtel de Ville, Notre-Dame-de-Paris can be seen in perspective.

One year prior to the renaming of the junction, rainbow zebra crossings in the vicinity, which had been painted to commemorate Paris Pride, were tagged with homophobic graffiti.