The man who sparked national controversy by permitting same-sex marriages in San Francisco has been named the "Person of the Year" by Planet Out magazine, a publication geared toward homosexuals.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (Photo: baycrossings.com)

Mayor Gavin Newsom topped the likes of Teresa Heinz Kerry and singer Melissa Etheridge on the 2004 list.

The magazine says its awards recognize the people who most profoundly impacted the lives of lesbian, "gay," bisexual and transgender people.

Editors say Newsom changed history, changed lives and changed the national debate about marriage equality, making him their obvious choice:

The 36-year-old's decision to let City Hall issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples sparked a month-long wedding parade, with couples flying in from all over the world to wed. The phenomenon became known to many as the Winter of Love, and news media broadcast images from City Hall of hundreds of loving couples enjoying a right that had always been denied them.

Newsom has said he was moved to act after seeing President Bush lend support for a constitutional amendment to "protect the sanctity of marriage" during his State of the Union speech. The decision made Newsom a lightning rod for criticism to many people (including fellow Democratic leaders), and a hero to many others.

The wedding parade was halted by court order after a month, and the state Supreme Court has since nullified the more than 4,000 marriages that were performed in the city. But like the Stonewall riots and other history-changing moments that have energized our community's fight for equal rights, the Winter of Love gave us a taste of the future that cannot be taken away.

Along with Newsom, Mayor Jason West of New Paltz, N.Y., received a runner-up award for presiding over same-sex weddings at city hall in February. He was later indicted for it.

Teresa Heinz Kerry

Also on the runners-up list is Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Planet Out says Teresa "stood out as a rare kind of hetero hero."

While her husband largely shied away from one of his most loyal voting blocs, rarely mentioning his long record of LGBT support, Heinz Kerry took on the role of unofficial ambassador.

At the July Democratic National Convention, she invited gay delegates to "call me Mama T." The crowd burst into chants of "Mama T.," "Mama T." She got a similarly enthusiastic response from gay audiences across the country.

Singer Melissa Etheridge is also among those singled out.

We've known for a long time now that Melissa Etheridge is one tough broad. After all, what's braver than coming out as a lesbian when you're one of the biggest rock stars in the world and your career is hotter than Bruce Springsteen's? Etheridge did just that in 1993 – loud and clear, with no apologies.

This year, Melissa proved she's still as bold and brave as ever. Diagnosed with breast cancer in early October, she sprung into action, went public with the news and underwent successful surgery. But she didn't just look out for herself – the singer used her celebrity muscle to help raise awareness of the disease by directing the public to various non-profits.

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