Photo courtesy City of Austin The 2011–12 Austin City Council (from left): Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, Councilman Bill Spelman, Councilwoman Laura Morrison, Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Councilwoman Kathie Tovo, and Councilmen Chris Riley and Mike Martinez.
Austin City Council members voted 6-0 at the Aug. 23 meeting to give a section of Fourth Street—between Congress Avenue and Rio Grande Street—the honorary name of Bettie Naylor Avenue.
Libby Sykora, Naylor's partner, spoke to the council saying Naylor would be "tremendously" honored by the recognition.
"Bettie woke up every day with a desire to know and do what she could for her community, and it was in no regard to race, religion or social standing," Sykora said. "There was no one unworthy of her time and her efforts to make this a better community for all of us. But I think this honor is especially outstanding that we have a council progressive enough to look at this great honor for this wonderful woman."
Naylor died in April at 85 years old and, throughout her life, was active in the Austin community by founding and supporting numerous organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Texas and National Women's Political Caucus, Out Youth—an organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth—and many others.
