The Castro: The Rise of a Gay Communy - FoundSF

Contents:

• SAN FRANCIS’S 3 MOST FAB GAY NEIGHBORHOODS
• THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS
• THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT
• RABOW DISTRICT: EXPLORG GAY CULTURE SAN FRANCIS
• GAYBORHOODS ARE GETTG STROYED, SAN FRANCIS LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ACTIVIST SAYS
• THE CASTRO DISTRICT: SAN FRANCIS'S BEATG HEART OF LGBTQ PRI THE CASTRO THEATRE SAN FRANCIS'S MOST FAMO LGBTQ NEIGHBORHOOD | © FELIX CHOO / ALAMY K SANTOS 21 MAY 2021 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THE CASTRO DISTRICT SAN FRANCIS HAS BEEN A VAL PART OF THE CY’S INTY FOR S. FROM HARVEY MILK’S MPAIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE THE 1970S TO TODAY’S EFFORTS TO MIMIZE THE IMPACT OF GENTRIFITN ON THE MUNY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE CY’S MAGIC. VIEW ALL TRIPS ONCE OWNED BY MEXIN LAND BARONS, THE RABOW-ADORNED CASTRO, WHICH SS BETWEEN ASHBURY HEIGHTS AND MISSN, HAS TRANSFORMED SELF OM A MEETG SPOT FOR DAIRY FARMERS TO WHAT IS NOW DUBBED THE GAY PAL OF THE USA. THROUGHOUT THE 1960S AND 1970S, CASTRO PLAYED AN TEGRAL ROLE THE LGBTQ-RIGHTS MOVEMENT. TODAY, MEMORAT A RICH HISTORY OF CIVIL, SOCIAL, AND GENR RIGHTS SAN FRANCIS. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP TURKEY ICELAND BALI ECUADOR THAILAND MEXI INDIA SPA JAPAN MOROC CROATIA GREECE SOUTH AI EGYPT THE CASTRO HAS TRANSFORMED SELF TO THE GAY PAL OF AMERI | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP THE HISTORY OF THE CASTRO MUNY THE CASTRO WAS NAMED AFTER THE 19TH-CENTURY POLICIAN JOSé CASTRO, WHO WAS ONCE THE MANDG GENERAL OF ALTA CALIFORNIA, THE NORTHERN PART OF CALIFORNIA. SUATED THE EUREKA VALLEY, WAS A ONCE SPARSELY POPULATED VALLEY SURROUND BY STEEP HILLS AND HOME TO IRISH, GERMAN AND SNDAVIAN IMMIGRANTS THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. HOMTEARS, FARMERS AND FAI LED THE STREETS WH VICTORIAN-STYLE HOM, MANY OF WHICH REMA TODAY. IT SAW RAPID VELOPMENT AFTER THE NSTCTN OF THE MARKET STREET RAIL LE 1887 THAT ALLOWED PASSENGERS FAST ACCS TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF SAN FRANCIS. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP IN THE 1930S, WORKG-CLASS FAI FILTERED THROUGH THE CASTRO. BUT FOLLOWG WORLD WAR II, THE MOGRAPHICS STARTED TO SHIFT AND FAI MOVED OM CY TO SUBURB. AS THE FAI MOVED OUT, DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED SERVICEMEN MOVED , MOST CHARGED WH SODOMY OR “HOMOSEXUAL ACTS”. BY THE 1970S, 40 YEARS OF ACTIVISM AND MUNY GROWTH LED TO WIR ACCEPTANCE AND A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ACTED AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR LGBTQ FOLK. TAKG A WALK, CASTRO-STYLE | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP IN 1977, THE CASTRO FALLY EARNED S HISTORIL PLACE THE CIVIL FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS WHEN PROMENT CIVIL-RIGHTS ACTIVIST HARVEY MILK RAN HIS FOURTH ELECTORAL MPAIGN OM HIS CASTRO MERA STORE. IT WAS THE YEAR HE FALLY WON, BEG THE UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. MILK WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ELECTED OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA HISTORY, BUT HE WAS ASSASSATED A YEAR LATER. LS THAN A LATER, THE CY OF SAN FRANCIS OFFICIALLY NAMED THE CASTRO MUNI STATN PART OF HARVEY MILK PLAZA. MILK’S BREAKTHROUGH AS AN LGBTQ IN PAVED THE WAY FOR THE CASTRO MUNY WE KNOW TODAY AND HE IS REMEMBERED THE FILM MILK (2008). HARVEY MILK, HIS MERA STORE THE CASTRO, CELEBRAT HIS ELECTN AS A SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR ON ELECTN NIGHT, NOVEMBER 8, 1977 | © ROBERT CLAY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO THE CASTRO MUNY FACED A CRISIS AS HIV/AIDS BEGAN TO TAKE HOLD 1981; THREE YEARS THE NUMBER OF AIDS S REPORTED ROSE OM A HANDFUL TO MORE THAN 800. RISG NUMBERS NTUED TO APPEAR AMONG THE GAY MUNI, MOSTLY NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCIS. A NEW YORK TIM ARTICLE PUBLISHED 1987 OUTLED THE VASTATN THE CASTRO NEIGHBORHOOD FACED AT THE HEIGHT OF THE EPIMIC. SHOPS WERE CLOSG, HOM WERE PUT UP FOR SALE, AND MANY RINTS WERE GRAPPLG WH IENDS AND LOVED ON BEG DIAGNOSED WH THE ADLY DISEASE. AS A RULT, ADVOCY GROUPS SUCH AS THE SAN FRANCIS AIDS FOUNDATN BEGAN MOBILIZATN EFFORTS. DURG THE SUMMER OF 1983, THE GROUP WORKED TO TE PEOPLE DURG SAN FRANCIS’S GAY PRI PARA BY HANDG OUT NDOMS TO THE CROWD. ACRDG TO THE AIDS FOUNDATN, THIS ACT “WAS AMONG THE FIRST SIGNIFINT OUTREACH EFFORTS TO CHANGE THE URSE OF THE EPIMIC”. THIS SPURRED A MOMENTUM THAT WOULD FE THE CASTRO FOR GENERATNS, AS THE SAN FRANCIS AIDS FOUNDATN – ALONG WH STT, THE FOUNDATN’S HEALTH AND WELLNS OUTPOST THE CASTRO – NTUED GIVG OUT HUNDREDS OF THOANDS OF NDOMS EACH YEAR. THE PEOPLE AND PLAC OF TODAY’S CASTRO WH NUMERO HANGOUTS, CLUBS, BARS AND RTRANTS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CASTRO, HAS TRANSFORMED SELF TO A MORN-DAY SAFE HAVEN. THE TW PEAKS TAVERN, AT THE TERSECTN OF CASTRO AND MARKET STREETS, RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD OM THE HARVEY MILK PLAZA, IS A LONG-STANDG GO-TO BAR FOR LOLS AND VISORS, IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “THE GATEWAY TO THE CASTRO”. OFTEN SCRIBED AS THE FIRST GAY BAR THE CY TO PUT S ACTIVI ON CLEAR PUBLIC VIEW, THE TW PEAKS WAS PURCHASED 1972 BY GAY UPLE MARY ELLEN CUNHA AND PEGGY FORSTER; THEY STALLED PLATE-GLASS WDOWS A SYMBOLIC ACT TEND TO ENLIGHTEN PASSERS-BY. BY 2013, THE TAVERN WAS AWARD HISTORIC STAT THE CY OF SAN FRANCIS. THE CASTRO OFFERS A SAFE HAVEN FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP “THE CASTRO OFFERS A SAFE PLACE FOR LGBTQIA FOLKS,” SAYS KENNY LIM, A CRED SPECIALIST WHO HAS BEEN EQUENTG THE CASTRO SCE HE WAS A TEENAGER. IN HIS EY, RECENT YEARS HAVE BROUGHT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “WE NOW HAVE PLAQU ON THE SIWALK HONORG QUEER FOLKS WHO ME BEFORE . WE ALSO HAVE RABOW CROSSROADS. IT TOOK A WHILE FOR TO GET THIS.” KENNY LIM AND ANGELA NEWSHAM SPOKE TO CULTURE TRIP ABOUT WHY THEY LOVE THE CASTRO | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP FOR UNIVERSY OF SAN FRANCIS STUNT JIZELLE MARIANO, ’S THE NEWFOUND EEDOM OF SEXUAL EXPRSN THAT MAK THE CASTRO FEEL SAFE. “THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CREATED THE HOP OF LOVE BEG SHARED WH ANYONE AND EVERYONE, A PLACE WHERE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE,” SAYS MARIANO. AMONG THE MONUMENTAL AND HISTORIL SPANISH LONIAL AND BAROQUE BUILDGS IS A NEW WAVE OF SEXUAL EXPRSN. “CHEEKY SEX-TOY SHOPS”, AS MARIANO PUTS , ARE PERHAPS THE PNACLE OF THIS MOVEMENT, WH LOTNS SUCH AS DO YOUR MOTHER KNOW AND GOOD VIBRATNS LG THE CASTRO STREETS. PRI THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXTENDS TO THE CASTRO’S ARTISTIC RINTS AND THE R ON THE STREETS. IN 2014, THE CY LLABORATED WH PRIVATE ENTI TO CREATE RABOW-PATED CROSSWALKS AS A TRIBUTE TO THE CY’S LGBTQ HISTORY. THE RT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS JT AS LORFUL, WH RABOW FLAGS FLYG OM BS AND BARS. THE AREA HAS RABOW-PATED CROSSWALKS AS A TRIBUTE TO S LGBTQ HISTORY | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP “MY FAVORE THG ABOUT IS HOW PEOPLE DRS,” SAYS ASHIRA ELSPETH, A FORMER SAN FRANCISN WHO EQUENTLY VISS THE CY. “IT’S SPIRG TO SEE SO MANY UNIQUE LOOKS AND OUTFS.” BUT THE ARTISTS WHO BROUGHT THEIR ENERGY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE NOT AS MON AS THEY ONCE WERE. SAN FRANCIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE CY AMERI TO LIVE , AND LOL BS STGGLE TO STAY AFLOAT THE GOLN GATE CY. ANGELA NEWSHAM, A PERFORMANCE ARTIST WHO LIV WH HER WIFE A BRIGHTLY PATED VICTORIAN HOME THE CASTRO, WNS THE CHANG EVERY DAY. “I WOKE UP THIS MORNG AND ASKED MY WIFE IF SHE WOULD JO ME FOR FFEE AT A PLACE ON MARKET AND CASTRO. WE ARRIVED AND WERE SHOCKED TO SEE WAS PLETELY GONE. WE END UP GOG TO A PLACE ACROSS THE STREET, TO ANOTHER Fé WE LOVED, BUT THAT HAD SHUT DOWN AS WELL.” EVEN HARVEY MILK’S OLD STORE, WHICH WAS TURNED TO THE NON-PROF HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ACTN CENTER AND STORE, IS SCRIBED AS “PERMANENTLY CLOSED”. STILL, NEWSHAM BELIEV THERE’S SPIRATN AND LOVE TO BE FOUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “I HAVE HAD MANY NVERSATNS WH PEOPLE THE CASTRO THAT HAVE SPIRED MY ART,” SHE SAYS. THE CASTRO RABOW CROSSWALK INTERSECTN IS A CELEBRATN OF LGBTQ RIGHTS | | © ROSANGELA LIMA / ALAMY DPE PAST AND PRENT CHALLENG, THE CASTRO IS STILL THRIVG. RABOW BANNERS LE THE STREETS AND DANCE MIC N BE HEARD OM THE SIWALKS. ADVOCY REMAS A LARGE PART OF THE CULTURE. GROUPS SUCH AS LET’S KICK ASS – AIDS SURVIVOR SYNDROME AND AND CASTRO FOR ALL WORK TOWARDS HELPG THOSE THE LGBTQ MUNY. THE PRI OF SAN FRANCIS N TLY BE FOUND THE PEOPLE AND PLAC OF THE CASTRO. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

SAN FRANCIS’S 3 MOST FAB GAY NEIGHBORHOODS

When lookg for some of the bt gay neighborhoods San Francis, some stand out om the rt. It’s fair to say that while San Francis was beg a bean of hope for gay men and women around the world – the policy of the Uned Stat ernment and s treatment of LGBT cizens (particularly the stigma surroundg the HIV/AIDS crisis) was everythg but supportive and welg to the muny.

The Stonewall Rts of 1969, while geographilly distant, voked a surge anizatns for the gay muny.

In the subsequent years – bars, galleri, cultural tablishments and social and cultural bonds were cemented to make San Franciso one of the homosexual epicenters of the world. As the first openly gay man to be elected to public office the state of California – his robt, hands-on mpaigng lead to him beg, spe an ially osty receptn, wily accepted by the public.

THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS

The gay history of San Francis is embedd to s history still prent both physilly and atmospherilly and enjoyed by s LGBT rints and all those who choose to vis. Willows Inn – a gay owned bed and breakfast the Castro neighborhood of San Francis. Misterb&b is not a hotel or cha, but rather a bookg platform for rooms, apartments and hom and allows you to book om gay and gay-iendly hosts around the world.

THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

Unrstandg the gay scene is much more easily done wh the help of a lol and home-sharg is one of the bt ways to meet someone livg the cy who knows how thgs work, where and when are the bt nights to go out, and what plac to eat at and which to avoid. Near Baker Beach is Marshall’s Beach which is also popular for gay and nu sunbathers. San Francis is nsired an Amerin gay mec and at s heart beats the Castro District, one of the first gay neighborhoods.

RABOW DISTRICT: EXPLORG GAY CULTURE SAN FRANCIS

Hi Tops – this gay sports bar the Castro is a great spot to throwback drks while supportg your team. Oasis – this venue by Drag legends D'Arcy Drollger and Hekla prents drag shows, baret and theater productns to a mixed gay/lbian crowd SoMa.

The Stud – a rnerstone the San Francis gay bar scene, this dive-ish bar SoMa has been around the block.

GAYBORHOODS ARE GETTG STROYED, SAN FRANCIS LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ACTIVIST SAYS

Eros – a gay, two-story sna the Castro wh steam, sna, showers, lockers, bunk beds and play areas. San Francis Pri – this gay pri event started back 1970 and today is the largt gatherg of the queer muny and s alli natnwi.

The event, held annually durg the last full weekend of June, has more than 200 para ntgents and exhibors and over twenty muny-n stag and venu like Homo Hip Hop to Gray Pri. The 40th Annual San Francis Gay Pri Para where the theme was “Forty and Fabulo” San Francis, Calif. Wh s many famo rtrants and pubs, Castro will surely ter to a gay person that is young at heart.

THE CASTRO DISTRICT: SAN FRANCIS'S BEATG HEART OF LGBTQ PRI THE CASTRO THEATRE SAN FRANCIS'S MOST FAMO LGBTQ NEIGHBORHOOD | © FELIX CHOO / ALAMY K SANTOS 21 MAY 2021 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THE CASTRO DISTRICT SAN FRANCIS HAS BEEN A VAL PART OF THE CY’S INTY FOR S. FROM HARVEY MILK’S MPAIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE THE 1970S TO TODAY’S EFFORTS TO MIMIZE THE IMPACT OF GENTRIFITN ON THE MUNY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE CY’S MAGIC. VIEW ALL TRIPS ONCE OWNED BY MEXIN LAND BARONS, THE RABOW-ADORNED CASTRO, WHICH SS BETWEEN ASHBURY HEIGHTS AND MISSN, HAS TRANSFORMED SELF OM A MEETG SPOT FOR DAIRY FARMERS TO WHAT IS NOW DUBBED THE GAY PAL OF THE USA. THROUGHOUT THE 1960S AND 1970S, CASTRO PLAYED AN TEGRAL ROLE THE LGBTQ-RIGHTS MOVEMENT. TODAY, MEMORAT A RICH HISTORY OF CIVIL, SOCIAL, AND GENR RIGHTS SAN FRANCIS. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP TURKEY ICELAND BALI ECUADOR THAILAND MEXI INDIA SPA JAPAN MOROC CROATIA GREECE SOUTH AI EGYPT THE CASTRO HAS TRANSFORMED SELF TO THE GAY PAL OF AMERI | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP THE HISTORY OF THE CASTRO MUNY THE CASTRO WAS NAMED AFTER THE 19TH-CENTURY POLICIAN JOSé CASTRO, WHO WAS ONCE THE MANDG GENERAL OF ALTA CALIFORNIA, THE NORTHERN PART OF CALIFORNIA. SUATED THE EUREKA VALLEY, WAS A ONCE SPARSELY POPULATED VALLEY SURROUND BY STEEP HILLS AND HOME TO IRISH, GERMAN AND SNDAVIAN IMMIGRANTS THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. HOMTEARS, FARMERS AND FAI LED THE STREETS WH VICTORIAN-STYLE HOM, MANY OF WHICH REMA TODAY. IT SAW RAPID VELOPMENT AFTER THE NSTCTN OF THE MARKET STREET RAIL LE 1887 THAT ALLOWED PASSENGERS FAST ACCS TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF SAN FRANCIS. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP IN THE 1930S, WORKG-CLASS FAI FILTERED THROUGH THE CASTRO. BUT FOLLOWG WORLD WAR II, THE MOGRAPHICS STARTED TO SHIFT AND FAI MOVED OM CY TO SUBURB. AS THE FAI MOVED OUT, DISHONORABLY DISCHARGED SERVICEMEN MOVED , MOST CHARGED WH SODOMY OR “HOMOSEXUAL ACTS”. BY THE 1970S, 40 YEARS OF ACTIVISM AND MUNY GROWTH LED TO WIR ACCEPTANCE AND A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ACTED AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR LGBTQ FOLK. TAKG A WALK, CASTRO-STYLE | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP IN 1977, THE CASTRO FALLY EARNED S HISTORIL PLACE THE CIVIL FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS WHEN PROMENT CIVIL-RIGHTS ACTIVIST HARVEY MILK RAN HIS FOURTH ELECTORAL MPAIGN OM HIS CASTRO MERA STORE. IT WAS THE YEAR HE FALLY WON, BEG THE UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. MILK WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ELECTED OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA HISTORY, BUT HE WAS ASSASSATED A YEAR LATER. LS THAN A LATER, THE CY OF SAN FRANCIS OFFICIALLY NAMED THE CASTRO MUNI STATN PART OF HARVEY MILK PLAZA. MILK’S BREAKTHROUGH AS AN LGBTQ IN PAVED THE WAY FOR THE CASTRO MUNY WE KNOW TODAY AND HE IS REMEMBERED THE FILM MILK (2008). HARVEY MILK, HIS MERA STORE THE CASTRO, CELEBRAT HIS ELECTN AS A SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR ON ELECTN NIGHT, NOVEMBER 8, 1977 | © ROBERT CLAY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO THE CASTRO MUNY FACED A CRISIS AS HIV/AIDS BEGAN TO TAKE HOLD 1981; THREE YEARS THE NUMBER OF AIDS S REPORTED ROSE OM A HANDFUL TO MORE THAN 800. RISG NUMBERS NTUED TO APPEAR AMONG THE GAY MUNI, MOSTLY NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCIS. A NEW YORK TIM ARTICLE PUBLISHED 1987 OUTLED THE VASTATN THE CASTRO NEIGHBORHOOD FACED AT THE HEIGHT OF THE EPIMIC. SHOPS WERE CLOSG, HOM WERE PUT UP FOR SALE, AND MANY RINTS WERE GRAPPLG WH IENDS AND LOVED ON BEG DIAGNOSED WH THE ADLY DISEASE. AS A RULT, ADVOCY GROUPS SUCH AS THE SAN FRANCIS AIDS FOUNDATN BEGAN MOBILIZATN EFFORTS. DURG THE SUMMER OF 1983, THE GROUP WORKED TO TE PEOPLE DURG SAN FRANCIS’S GAY PRI PARA BY HANDG OUT NDOMS TO THE CROWD. ACRDG TO THE AIDS FOUNDATN, THIS ACT “WAS AMONG THE FIRST SIGNIFINT OUTREACH EFFORTS TO CHANGE THE URSE OF THE EPIMIC”. THIS SPURRED A MOMENTUM THAT WOULD FE THE CASTRO FOR GENERATNS, AS THE SAN FRANCIS AIDS FOUNDATN – ALONG WH STT, THE FOUNDATN’S HEALTH AND WELLNS OUTPOST THE CASTRO – NTUED GIVG OUT HUNDREDS OF THOANDS OF NDOMS EACH YEAR. THE PEOPLE AND PLAC OF TODAY’S CASTRO WH NUMERO HANGOUTS, CLUBS, BARS AND RTRANTS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CASTRO, HAS TRANSFORMED SELF TO A MORN-DAY SAFE HAVEN. THE TW PEAKS TAVERN, AT THE TERSECTN OF CASTRO AND MARKET STREETS, RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD OM THE HARVEY MILK PLAZA, IS A LONG-STANDG GO-TO BAR FOR LOLS AND VISORS, IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “THE GATEWAY TO THE CASTRO”. OFTEN SCRIBED AS THE FIRST GAY BAR THE CY TO PUT S ACTIVI ON CLEAR PUBLIC VIEW, THE TW PEAKS WAS PURCHASED 1972 BY GAY UPLE MARY ELLEN CUNHA AND PEGGY FORSTER; THEY STALLED PLATE-GLASS WDOWS A SYMBOLIC ACT TEND TO ENLIGHTEN PASSERS-BY. BY 2013, THE TAVERN WAS AWARD HISTORIC STAT THE CY OF SAN FRANCIS. THE CASTRO OFFERS A SAFE HAVEN FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP “THE CASTRO OFFERS A SAFE PLACE FOR LGBTQIA FOLKS,” SAYS KENNY LIM, A CRED SPECIALIST WHO HAS BEEN EQUENTG THE CASTRO SCE HE WAS A TEENAGER. IN HIS EY, RECENT YEARS HAVE BROUGHT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “WE NOW HAVE PLAQU ON THE SIWALK HONORG QUEER FOLKS WHO ME BEFORE . WE ALSO HAVE RABOW CROSSROADS. IT TOOK A WHILE FOR TO GET THIS.” KENNY LIM AND ANGELA NEWSHAM SPOKE TO CULTURE TRIP ABOUT WHY THEY LOVE THE CASTRO | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP FOR UNIVERSY OF SAN FRANCIS STUNT JIZELLE MARIANO, ’S THE NEWFOUND EEDOM OF SEXUAL EXPRSN THAT MAK THE CASTRO FEEL SAFE. “THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CREATED THE HOP OF LOVE BEG SHARED WH ANYONE AND EVERYONE, A PLACE WHERE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE,” SAYS MARIANO. AMONG THE MONUMENTAL AND HISTORIL SPANISH LONIAL AND BAROQUE BUILDGS IS A NEW WAVE OF SEXUAL EXPRSN. “CHEEKY SEX-TOY SHOPS”, AS MARIANO PUTS , ARE PERHAPS THE PNACLE OF THIS MOVEMENT, WH LOTNS SUCH AS DO YOUR MOTHER KNOW AND GOOD VIBRATNS LG THE CASTRO STREETS. PRI THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXTENDS TO THE CASTRO’S ARTISTIC RINTS AND THE R ON THE STREETS. IN 2014, THE CY LLABORATED WH PRIVATE ENTI TO CREATE RABOW-PATED CROSSWALKS AS A TRIBUTE TO THE CY’S LGBTQ HISTORY. THE RT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS JT AS LORFUL, WH RABOW FLAGS FLYG OM BS AND BARS. THE AREA HAS RABOW-PATED CROSSWALKS AS A TRIBUTE TO S LGBTQ HISTORY | | RACHEL BUJALSKI / © CULTURE TRIP “MY FAVORE THG ABOUT IS HOW PEOPLE DRS,” SAYS ASHIRA ELSPETH, A FORMER SAN FRANCISN WHO EQUENTLY VISS THE CY. “IT’S SPIRG TO SEE SO MANY UNIQUE LOOKS AND OUTFS.” BUT THE ARTISTS WHO BROUGHT THEIR ENERGY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE NOT AS MON AS THEY ONCE WERE. SAN FRANCIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE CY AMERI TO LIVE , AND LOL BS STGGLE TO STAY AFLOAT THE GOLN GATE CY. ANGELA NEWSHAM, A PERFORMANCE ARTIST WHO LIV WH HER WIFE A BRIGHTLY PATED VICTORIAN HOME THE CASTRO, WNS THE CHANG EVERY DAY. “I WOKE UP THIS MORNG AND ASKED MY WIFE IF SHE WOULD JO ME FOR FFEE AT A PLACE ON MARKET AND CASTRO. WE ARRIVED AND WERE SHOCKED TO SEE WAS PLETELY GONE. WE END UP GOG TO A PLACE ACROSS THE STREET, TO ANOTHER Fé WE LOVED, BUT THAT HAD SHUT DOWN AS WELL.” EVEN HARVEY MILK’S OLD STORE, WHICH WAS TURNED TO THE NON-PROF HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ACTN CENTER AND STORE, IS SCRIBED AS “PERMANENTLY CLOSED”. STILL, NEWSHAM BELIEV THERE’S SPIRATN AND LOVE TO BE FOUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “I HAVE HAD MANY NVERSATNS WH PEOPLE THE CASTRO THAT HAVE SPIRED MY ART,” SHE SAYS. THE CASTRO RABOW CROSSWALK INTERSECTN IS A CELEBRATN OF LGBTQ RIGHTS | | © ROSANGELA LIMA / ALAMY DPE PAST AND PRENT CHALLENG, THE CASTRO IS STILL THRIVG. RABOW BANNERS LE THE STREETS AND DANCE MIC N BE HEARD OM THE SIWALKS. ADVOCY REMAS A LARGE PART OF THE CULTURE. GROUPS SUCH AS LET’S KICK ASS – AIDS SURVIVOR SYNDROME AND AND CASTRO FOR ALL WORK TOWARDS HELPG THOSE THE LGBTQ MUNY. THE PRI OF SAN FRANCIS N TLY BE FOUND THE PEOPLE AND PLAC OF THE CASTRO. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Castro is one of the most famo neighborhoods regnized for the LGBTQ+ activism that occurred followg the 1978 assassatn of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official San Francis.

There are a lot of gay bars, rtrants, ffee shops, and parks surroundg the neighborhood. SoMa is known to be chic and trendy, wh many up-and-g artists, fashn signers, wrers, and other creativ lookg to make their Thgs To DoFamo gay bars such as Aunt Charlie's Lounge and SF-Eagle are loted this neighborhood.