Harvey Milk in the 1978 Gay Pride Parade.
Posted in Castro LGBT Activitists LGBT Political Leaders

Harvey Milk (1930 – 1978)

In his day, Harvey Milk grew to become arguably the most famous gay person in world, and ultimately a martyr for the cause of gay…

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Norton the First, Emperor of the United States, Protector of Mexico
Posted in People

Emperor Norton I (c. 1818 – 1880)

Lesbian and gay San Franciscans may fondly remember Jose Sarria as the Widow Norton, Empress I of San Francisco. But if she was the widow…

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The plaque honoring Gertrude Stein will be unveiled with 19 other Rainbow Honor Walk honorees on September 2, 2014.
Posted in Castro Memorials

Rainbow Honor Walk about to be unveiled

The Bay Area Reporter has more about the impending unveiling of the Rainbow Honor Walk that we reported on recently. The official unveiling ceremony is…

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Posted in Leather Community Sexual Liberation

Origins of the hanky code

In the early 1970s, some gay men — particularly in the leather scene — began to wear colorful handkerchiefs to signal their sexual interests (e.g.,…

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Posted in Castro Featured Story Gay Bars & Clubs

History of Castro gay bars

Gay history is inextricably linked to the bar scene. For generations, gay people met each other furtively at hookup spots: parks, the piers, and other…

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Plaque honoring disco legend Sylvester, one of 20 plaques that will be part of the Rainbow Honor Walk in the Castro.
Posted in Castro LGBT People

Castro’s Rainbow Honor Walk

Over the last several months, the 400 and 500 block of Castro Street, the epicenter of the City’s gayest neighborhood, has been undergoing a massive…

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Posted in Bathhouses

Gay bathhouses on the decline

The Associated Press is reporting that gay bathhouses, once a big part of urban gay life, have declined considerably since their heyday in the 1970s….

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Openly LGBT people who have served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Posted in LGBT Political Leaders

Harvey’s legacy on the BOS

When Harvey Milk was sworn in as a San Francisco Supervisor on January 8, 1978, he was the first openly gay person to hold elected office…

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Posted in Bathhouses Gay Bars & Clubs

Bathhouses and Beyond

Today’s Queerty has a brief history of gay hookups, from bathhouses to bars to hookup sites and now hookup apps. It’s just a quick overview…

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Items from the television show Will & Grace to be displayed at The Smithsonian.
Posted in Historical Collections

Smithsonian adding LGBT history

The Associated Press is reporting that the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., is adding papers, photographs, and other historical objects relating to LGBT history to…

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