LGBT culture in San Francisco

The Castro, a center of LGBT culture in San Francisco

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in San Francisco is one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the world, and is one of the most important in the history of LGBT rights and activism. The city itself has, among its many nicknames, the nickname "gay capital of the world", and has been described as "the original "gay-friendly city"".[1] LGBT cultures are also active within companies based in the Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area.[2]

History

Michael Stabile of Out stated that the first "notorious" gay bar in San Francisco was the The Dash, which opened in 1908.[3] The San Francisco LGBT community first fully formed in the 1920s and 1930s.[4] The most prominent LGBT area then was North Beach.[4]

Todd J. Ormsbee, an American studies professor at San Jose State University who wrote The Meaning of Gay: Interaction, Publicity, and Community among Homosexual Men in 1960s San Francisco, stated that a "somewhat more open gay male culture" appeared in San Francisco due to the city's "relative safety" compared to other American cities and due to a "permissiveness" in the city's culture.[5]

The Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) was founded in San Francisco in 1955 by four lesbian couples (including Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon) and was the first national lesbian political and social organization in the United States.[6]

The Mattachine Society moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to San Francisco in the 1950s.[5]

San Francisco became linked with the LGBT community in the media as a result of a June 1964 Life article, "Gay San Francisco," which stated that San Francisco was the "gay capital of America."[7]

In 1966, one of the first recorded transgender riots in US history took place. The Compton's Cafeteria Riot occurred in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. The night after the riot, more transgender people, hustlers, Tenderloin street people, and other members of the LGBT community joined in a picket of the cafeteria, which would not allow transgender people back in. The demonstration ended with the newly installed plate-glass windows being smashed again. According to the online encyclopedia glbtq.com, "In the aftermath of the riot at Compton's, a network of transgender social, psychological, and medical support services was established, which culminated in 1968 with the creation of the National Transsexual Counseling Unit [NTCU], the first such peer-run support and advocacy organization in the world".[8]

One of the earliest organizations for bisexuals, the Sexual Freedom League in San Francisco, was facilitated by Margo Rila and Frank Esposito beginning in 1967.[9] Two years later, during a staff meeting at a San Francisco mental health facility serving LGBT people, nurse Maggi Rubenstein came out as bisexual. Due to this, bisexuals began to be included in the facility's programs for the first time.[9] In 1976 Maggi Rubenstein and Harriet Levi founded the San Francisco Bisexual Center.[9] It was the longest surviving bisexual community center, offering counseling and support services to Bay Area bisexuals, as well as publishing a newsletter, The Bi Monthly, from 1976 to 1984.[9]

The number of San Francisco gay bars increased in the 1960s.[7] The first gay bar to have clear windows was Twin Peaks Tavern, which removed its blacked-out windows in 1972.[3]

In 1970 gay activist groups on the West Coast of the United States held a march and 'Gay-in' in San Francisco.[10][11]

The Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club, a centrist LGBT Democratic Party organization, was founded around 1971.[12][13]

In November 1977 Harvey Milk was elected as the first openly gay politician in the city of San Francisco; he became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.[14] Anne Kronenberg, who was openly lesbian, was Milk's campaign manager during his San Francisco Board of Supervisors campaign, and later worked as his aide while he held that office.[15] In 1978, lesbian Sally Miller Gearhart fought alongside Milk to defeat Proposition 6 (also known as the "Briggs Initiative" because it was sponsored by John Briggs), which would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in public schools in California.[16] Milk was murdered on November 27, 1978 in the Moscone–Milk assassinations.[17] Riots occurred after the perpetrator, Dan White, received a manslaughter conviction.[14] The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club was founded as the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club in 1976 and received its current name in 1978.[18]

Gilbert Baker raised the first LGBT Pride flag at San Francisco Pride on June 25, 1978.

The Castro's gayborhood identity began in the 1960s and 1970s as LGBT people began moving to the community.[19]

In the early 1980s,[20] AIDS began affecting the male LGBT population of San Francisco, with the disease continuing to have a fatal effect through the 1990s. 15,548 people in San Francisco had died due to AIDS prior to the introduction of drugs that treated AIDS,[21] and a total of almost 20,000 people died within 15 years of the start of the AIDS crisis. The victims had obituaries in San Francisco-area LGBT newspapers.[20] Randy Shilts, who himself later died of AIDS, was one of the foremost reporters of the AIDS epidemic.[22] He was hired as a national correspondent by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1981, becoming the first openly gay reporter with a gay "beat" in the American mainstream press.[23] In 1984, bisexual activist David Lourea finally persuaded the San Francisco Department of Public Health to recognize bisexual men in their official AIDS statistics (the weekly “New AIDS cases and mortality statistics” report), after two years of campaigning.[9] Health departments throughout the United States began to recognize bisexual men because of this, whereas before they had mostly only recognized gay men.[9] The documentary "We Were Here" covers the 1980s-1990s AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Made by David Weissman, the film opened in Los Angeles and received a screening at the Castro Theatre.[21]

The Gay Games were held in San Francisco in 1982 and 1986.

In 1983, BiPOL, the first and oldest bisexual political organization, was founded in San Francisco by bisexual activists Autumn Courtney, Lani Ka'ahumanu, Arlene Krantz, David Lourea, Bill Mack, Alan Rockway, and Maggi Rubenstein.[9] In 1984, BiPOL sponsored the first bisexual rights rally, outside the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.[9] The rally featured nine speakers from civil rights groups allied with the bisexual movement.[9]

In 1987, the Bay Area Bisexual Network, the oldest and largest bisexual group in the San Francisco Bay Area, was founded by Lani Ka'ahumanu, Ann Justi and Maggi Rubenstein.[24]

The oldest national bisexuality organization in the United States, BiNet USA, was founded in 1990.[9] It was originally called the North American Multicultural Bisexual Network (NAMBN), and had its first meeting at the first National Bisexual Conference in America.[25][25][26] This first conference was held in San Francisco, and sponsored by BiPOL.[9] Over 450 people attended from 20 states and 5 countries, and the mayor of San Francisco sent a proclamation "commending the bisexual rights community for its leadership in the cause of social justice," and declaring June 23, 1990 Bisexual Pride Day.[9]

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon became the first same-sex couple to be legally married in the United States in 2004,[27] when San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom allowed city hall to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.[28] However, all same-sex marriages done in 2004 in California were annulled.[29] After the California Supreme Court decision in 2008 that granted same-sex couples in California the right to marry, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon remarried, and were again the first same-sex couple in the state to marry.[30] Later in 2008 Proposition 8 illegalized same-sex marriage in California until 2013, but the marriages that occurred between the California Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage and the approval of Proposition 8 illegalizing it are still considered valid, including the marriage of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.[31][32][33] However, Del Martin died in 2008.[34]

In 2004 the San Francisco Trans March was first held.[35] It has been held annually since; it is San Francisco's largest transgender Pride event and one of the largest trans events in the entire world.[35]

In 2007 Theresa Sparks was elected president of the San Francisco Police Commission by a single vote, making her the first openly transgender person ever to be elected president of any San Francisco commission, as well as San Francisco's highest ranking openly transgender official.[36][37][38]

In 2011, San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission released a report on bisexual visibility, titled "Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts and Regulations"; this was the first time any governmental body released such a report.[39]

In 2013 San Francisco Board of Supervisors member David Campos started a campaign to have San Francisco International Airport renamed for Milk.[17]

Pete Kane of the SF Weekly stated in 2014 that assimilation into mainstream society, "displacement due to the explosive cost of living, and atomization in the face of handheld sex" are all trends that have the potential to diminish the "LGBT community" and that these trends are "felt most acutely" in San Francisco.[40]

Demographics

In 1993 Stephen O. Murray, in "Components of Gay Community in San Francisco," wrote that most LGBT residents of San Francisco had originated from other cities and had "came out" in other cities.[41]

Geography

A color photograph of a large Gay Pride flag flying at the intersection of Market and Castro Streets and the hills of San Francisco in the distance
Gay Pride flag above Harvey Milk Plaza in The Castro neighborhood

In the 1920s and 1930s the most prominent LGBT area was North Beach.[4]

The Castro has a gayborhood identity. This began in the 1960s and 1970s as LGBT people began moving to the community.[19] While The Castro retained its gayborhood identity, in 2014 Spencer Michels of PBS Newshour stated that The Castro became "a little more heterosexual, a slightly upscale shopping street".[20]

In 1977 a large portion of the LGBT community was centered in the upper Market Street and Haight-Ashbury area.[14]

Culture and recreation

Gay bars became LGBT community centers and areas where LGBT residents had public visibility.[42] Michael Stabile of Out stated that the first "notorious" gay bar was the The Dash, which opened in 1908.[3] The number of San Francisco gay bars increased in the 1960s.[7] The first gay bar to have clear windows was Twin Peaks Tavern, which removed its blacked-out windows in 1972.[3] In 2014 Pete Kane stated that as same-sex rights and culture became mainstream, many gay bars in the city had closed or became "post-gay".[40]

The National Queer Arts Festival and Frameline, which is the largest and oldest LGBT film festival, are held in San Francisco.[13] Harvey Milk had founded the Castro Street Fair.[19] Other events include San Francisco Pride, the Folsom Street Fair, and Pink Saturday.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is based in the city.

Media

The LGBT-centric area newspapers are the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco Bay Times,[13] and San Francisco Sentinel. Lesbian-centric magazines published in the city are Curve and Girlfriends.[13]

Institutions and community

The GLBT Historical Society maintains archives of LGBT-related materials.

The Golden Gate Business Association is an LGBT chamber of commerce.[13] The LGBT entrepreneurship organization StartOut is also based in the city.[43] The Bay Area Career Women is a lesbian professional development group.[13]

The Mattachine Society moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to San Francisco in the 1950s.[5]

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center is in San Francisco. The growing LGBT population led to some publishers applying the moniker San Fagcisco to the city, while inhabitants were given the demonym San Fagciscan.[44]

Politics

Harvey Milk

San Francisco has open LGBT identity participation in its political system. In 2012 William Harless of PBS Newshour stated that "the gay political scene in San Francisco still an exception".[45]

The Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club is a centrist LGBT Democratic Party organization.[13] This club was founded around 1971.[12] The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club is strongly left-leaning.[13] The Milk club was founded as the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club in 1976 and received its current name in 1978.[18] Both of the Democrat groups raise money during the Alice Pride breakfasts, held each June and attended by the Mayor of San Francisco and other area politicians. In 2012 members of the Barack Obama reelection campaign attended the breakfast.[45] Lynn Rapoport of the San Francisco Bay Guardian stated that in San Francisco there are "possibly even some Log Cabin Republicans."[13]

Proposition 8

The political participation for and against California Proposition 8 depended on race, age, level of education, and religious affiliation; there were high income neighborhoods that voted for the proposition and high income neighborhoods that voted against the proposition. More strongly religious persons were more likely to vote in favor of the proposition. Whites had a lower likelihood of being pro-Proposition 8 while blacks and Asians voted more strongly in favor of the proposition. People with university degrees voted mostly against the proposition while those who only had a high school diploma voted mostly for the proposition. The 18-29 age group voted strongly against Proposition 8 and the 60 and older age group voted strongly for it.[46] Chinese American Voter Education Committee (CAVEC; Chinese: 華裔選民教育委員會; pinyin: Huáyì Xuǎnmín Jiàoyùwěiyuánhuì) director David Lee (李志威; Lǐ Zhìwēi[47][48]) stated that immigrants who had been in San Francisco for longer than ten years largely voted against the proposition while those who had been in the city for fewer than 10 years largely voted for it.[49]

In 2008, out of the 580 precincts in San Francisco, all but 54 voted against Proposition 8. Neighborhoods voting strongly against Proposition 8 included Laurel Heights, Marina, and Mission Bay. The Mission District precinct around the 24th Street BART Station had about a 20% vote in favor of Proposition 8. About 24% of those in Sea Cliff voted for Proposition 8, and the percentage of those in St. Francis Wood voting in favor of the proposition was 35%.[46] In The Castro 3% of voters had voted in favor of Proposition 8.[49]

Areas voting over 50% in favor of Proposition 8 included portions of Bayview-Hunters Point, the Excelsior, communities around Lake Merced, and Visitacion Valley.[46] Some residents of Visitacion Valley stated that they did not want their children to learn about gay marriage in school; they mistakenly believed that the measure would ban children from learning about gay marriage at school. Other Visitacion Valley residents cited their religious beliefs.[49] Chinatown was among the areas most heavily voting for Proposition 8;[46] David Lee stated that Yes on 8 caused many Chinese-speaking voters to vote for the proposition by taking out advertisements in area Chinese newspapers.[49] The areas with the highest percentages of for votes were in portions of Chinatown and Downtown, which were 65% in favor. The parts of Downtown included the condominiums of the Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco and the St. Regis Museum Tower as well as other city blocks around Bloomingdale's. Political consultant David Latterman stated that the residents in that area had recently moved into San Francisco and were less connected to the city compared to those in other wealthy areas.[46]

In fiction

The series Tales of the City depicts LGBT culture in San Francisco.

Notable people

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Kompes, Gregory A. 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live. Career Press. ISBN 1564148270, 9781564148278. p. 66.
  2. ↑ Haber, Matt. "Technology’s Rainbow Connection." The New York Times. July 20, 2014. Retrieved on September 6, 2014. Print: New York Edition, p. ST1, "Technology’s Rainbow Connection"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "12 Bars That Made San Francisco Gay, In Chronological Order" (Archive). Out. September 20, 2013. Retrieved on September 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sibalis, Michael. "Urban Space and Homosexuality: The Example of the Marais, Paris' 'Gay Ghetto'" (Wilfrid Laurier University). Urban Studies. August 2004 vol. 41 no. 9 p. 1739-1758. DOI 10.1080/0042098042000243138. CITED: p. 1739.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ormsbee, p. 306.
  6. ↑ >> social sciences >> Daughters of Bilitis. glbtq (2005-10-20). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ormsbee, p. 307.
  8. ↑ "Social sciences - San Francisco". glbtq. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 9.11 "TIMELINE: THE BISEXUAL HEALTH MOVEMENT IN THE US". BiNetUSA.
  10. ↑ "The San Francisco Chronicle", June 29, 1970
  11. ↑ "As of early 1970, Neil Briggs became the vice-chairman of the LGBTQ Association", CanPress, February 28, 1970.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "About" (Archive). Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 Rapoport, Lynn. "Is San Francisco still a gay mecca?" (Archive). San Francisco Bay Guardian. Retrieved on September 6, 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Harvey Milk." The New York Times. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  15. ↑ The Lesbian in "Milk": Alison Pill as Anne Kronenberg | Movie Reviews, Celebrity Interviews & Film News About & For Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Women. AfterEllen.com (2008-11-24). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  16. ↑ The Resurrection of Harvey Milk | People. The Advocate. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Hetter, Katia. "Will San Francisco name airport after slain gay icon Harvey Milk?" (Archive). CNN. January 15, 2013. Retrieved on September 2, 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "About Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club" (Archive). Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "San Francisco : The Castro" (Archive). San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on September 6, 2014.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "‘We Were Here’ Revisits San Francisco’s AIDS Epidemic of Early ’80s" (Archive). PBS Newshour. June 14, 2012. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "'We Were Here' documents AIDS crisis in the 1980s." Los Angeles Times. September 16, 2011. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  22. ↑ Weiss, Mike (February 17, 2004). "Randy Shilts was gutsy, brash and unforgettable. He died 10 years ago, fighting for the rights of gays in American society.". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  23. ↑ Randy Shilts at Queer Theory Retrieved on 2007-01-03
  24. ↑ "Bisexual network celebrates 25 years". www.ebar.com. 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "All About BiNet USA including the Fine Print". BiNet USA. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  26. ↑ Summers, Claude J. (2009-10-20). "BiNet USA". glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. glbtq, Inc.
  27. ↑ "Lesbian couple wedded at SF City Hall Women had been together for five decades". The San Francisco Chronicle. February 13, 2004.
  28. ↑ Jonathan Darman (2009-01-16). "SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Risks Career on Gay Marriage - Newsweek and The Daily Beast". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  29. ↑ "Prop 8 proponents seek to nullify same-sex marriages". CNN. 2008-12-19.
  30. ↑ National Center for Lesbian Rights. "In Memoriam: Del Martin". http://www.nclrights.org. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  31. ↑ California's top court upholds Prop. 8 ban on same-sex marriage. CSMonitor.com (2009-05-27). Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
  32. ↑ Lin II, Rong-Gong (June 26, 2013). "Obama calls to congratulate Prop. 8 plaintiffs from Air Force One". http://www.latimes.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  33. ↑ Sieczkowski, Cavan (June 26, 2013). "Hollingsworth v. Perry Decision Prompts Plaintiff In Prop 8 Case To Propose To Boyfriend". http://www.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  34. ↑ Gordon, Rachel (2008-08-28). "Same-sex Marriage Timeline". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "About the San Francisco Trans March | San Francisco Trans March". Transmarch.org. 2004-06-25. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  36. ↑ Selna, Robert; Sward, Susan; Vega, Cecilia M. Renne Quits Police Commission, San Francisco Chronicle (May 11, 2007), pp. B-9. Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
  37. ↑ SF Police Commission Makes History, KCBS (May 10, 2007). Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
  38. ↑ McMillan, Dennis. Sparks Is First Trans Person to Lead Major Commission San Francisco Bay Times (May 17, 2007). Retrieved on October 15, 2007.
  39. ↑ Diane Anderson-Minshall (September 23, 2011). "The Biggest Bisexual News Stories of 2011".
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Kane, Pete. "Queer Flight: Does the Success of Gay Rights Mean the End of Gay Culture?" SF Weekly. Wednesday June 4, 2014. p. 1 (Archive). Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  41. ↑ Murray, p. 108.
  42. ↑ Boyd, p. 61.
  43. ↑ Allison, Scott. "Gay in Silicon Valley. A Founder's Perspective." Forbes. August 25, 2012. Retrieved on September 6, 2014.
  44. ↑ Professing in the Contact Zone- Page 124, Janice M. Wolff - 2002
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Harless, William. "How Important is the Gay and Lesbian Vote for the Upcoming Election?" (Archive). PBS Newshour. July 16, 2012. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 Knight, Heather. "Some areas of S.F. voted to ban same-sex marriage." San Francisco Chronicle. Friday November 14, 2008. p. 1. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  47. ↑ "李志威於選前兩周推出中文電視廣告，呼籲華裔選民投票，目前華裔申請郵寄選票的數字已在一周內增倍。（取材自華裔選民教育委員會影片）" (Archive). Chinese American Voter Education Committee. May 2014. Retrieved on September 7, 2014. "華裔選民教育委員會行政主任李志威[...]"
  48. ↑ "David Lee, executive director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee, attributed Chiu’s primary victory to the Chinese-American absentee voter turnout being as much as 10 percentage points higher than the districtwide absentee voter turnout overall as of Friday. “David Chiu has been working on Chinese outreach and is better known in the Chinese community and he’s recognizable as one of the top Chinese-American elected officials in The City,” Lee said. “And Asian voters have demonstrated overtime a strong identity vote.”" (Archive). Chinese American Voter Education Committee. June 4, 2014. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 Knight, Heather. "Some areas of S.F. voted to ban same-sex marriage." San Francisco Chronicle. Friday November 14, 2008. p. 2. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.

Further reading

External links