Rememberg The Gay San Francis Church That Was Torched Out Of Hate In 1973: SFist

gay churches in san francisco

The s-long stggle for equal rights for the gay muny clud an unlikely transformatn wh a lol Catholic church that is now thrivg San Francis's Castro District.

Contents:

REMEMBERG THE GAY SAN FRANCIS CHURCH THAT WAS TORCHED OUT OF HATE IN 1973

The Metropolan Communy Church San Francis was one of four gay church burned arsons between 1973 and 1974, the same year of the adly UpStairs Lounge fire new Orleans, which was also ... * gay churches in san francisco *

We, of the Metropolan Communy Church of San Francis, are a beloved muny jog together om diverse spirual backgrounds and misterg primarily wh the Lbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgenred Communy as a hoe of prayer of all people and a home for queer spirualy. The parish offers a spirual home to all: senr cizens and youth; sgle people and fai; those who are straight, gay, lbian, and transgenr; the healthy and the sick, particularly persons wh HIV/AIDS. Followg the attack on Pulse nightclub Orlando Sunday that took the liv of 49 victims, most of them Lato gay men, the New York Tim remds of earlier attacks on the gay muny, among them an famo arson se at a gay-iendly church San Francis the summer of 1973.

The bar was known as a place equented by parishners of the Metropolan Communy Church (MCC) — a gay-found relig anizatn that began wh a "mother church" Los Angel, which self fell victim to an arson attack January of that same year. The fire at the UpStairs Lounge June, which a person or group of people who were never found doed lighter fluid all over the stairs leadg up to the send-story bar, was a horrific nflagratn that claimed the liv of 32 people, many of them gay parishners at the nearby MCC.

SAN FRANCIS'S LARGT GAY PARISH TO GET NEW PASTORS

* gay churches in san francisco *

Many of the people who died were unintifiable, not only bee the fire srched their bodi, but also bee, spe the celebratn of gay liberatn, many gay men were not out of the closet and ed fake IDs and alias gay bars. Thankfully no one was jured the blaze, and the nearby Missn Prbyterian Church at 23rd and Capp Streets ved all the MCC's gay and lbian parishners to their service that Sunday, and the entire group marched om the burned-out church that eveng sgg — jt as SF mourners did last night at Cy Hall — "We Shall Overe.

DO A POIGNANT PHOTO OF GAY MEN'S CHOIR SHOW DEVASTATG IMPACT OF HIV/AIDS?

" And as they reunt on this timele, they passed out flyers gay bars the early 70's sayg "brg a trick to church, " and even held Easter Sunday servic at a SoMa bathhoe, "replete wh baptisms and 'fellowship. Gay bars were also the targets of firebombgs and arsons this era.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY CHURCHES IN SAN FRANCISCO

Do a Poignant Photo of Gay Men's Choir Show Devastatg Impact of HIV/AIDS? |.

TOP