Posted in Castro Memorials

Historical plaques coming to the Castro

Another historical element to the Castro’s sidewalk widening project is scheduled to be unveiled in early October: a series of 20 plaques inscribed with a factoid…

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Posted in Gay Bars & Clubs

America’s first gay bar?

Queerty has an interesting excerpt from Justin Martin’s new book, Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians, in which he suggests that in the…

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Posted in Castro Western Addition

How Divisadero got connected to Castro Street

Hoodline has a fascinating article describing how Divisadero Street ended up getting connected to Castro Street. They weren’t always connected. Initially Divisadero just sort of…

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Posted in Leather Community South of Market Street Fairs

History of the Folsom Street Fair

The Folsom Street Fair has grown into the largest annual BDSM, leather, and fetish event in the world, and the third largest annual outdoor event…

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Posted in LGBT Heroes LGBT Sports Figures

Mark Bingham (1970 – 2001)

Mark Bingham (May 22, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was a gay San Franciscan who was one of four passengers on the hijacked United Flight…

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Posted in Castro Historical Collections

Castro Street, then and now

Roy McKenzie has a fantastic article on Hoodline showing the Castro as it used to look in the early 1900s (back when the neighborhood was still…

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Posted in Historical Collections

Video report of the Smithsonian’s LGBT collection

Earlier we reported that the Smithsonian is preparing a special exhibit of artifacts relating to LGBT history and pop culture, including items from the television…

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Posted in Castro HIV & AIDS LGBT Activitists Memorials Military Service

Leonard Matlovich (1943 – 1988)

On September 8, 1975, Leonard Matlovich appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline, “I Am a Homosexual,” catapulting him into the national…

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Posted in Drag Community LGBT Activitists LGBT Entertainers North Beach

José Sarria (1922/1923 – 2013)

José Julio Sarria was born on December 12 in either 1922 or 1923 in San Francisco, raised primarily by a single mother. Following his service in…

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