The Castro, San Francis Gay District - Where to stay, what to do

Contents:

• SAN FRANCIS’S 3 MOST FAB GAY NEIGHBORHOODS
• THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS
• MOVG TO LGBT SAN FRANCIS, CALIFORNIA? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!
• 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 INDIA MEXI BALI EGYPT CROATIA SOUTH AI SPA ICELAND THAILAND TURKEY MOROC ECUADOR GREECE JAPAN 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. EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN TRAVERSE STLAND’S MOST SCENIC LANDSP, OM WT AST TO EAST, TRAVELLG BY RAIL 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?
• 5 REASONS WHYSAN FRANCIS'S ORIGAL GAYBORHOOD REMAS TIMELS
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• THE BT GAY BARS SAN FRANCIS
• THE 10 BEST SAN FRANCIS GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SAN FRANCIS
• THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

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. For some, is one of the bt gay areas San Francis. Bt gay areas San Francis.

Prented by GayCi. San Francis – home of the untry's first openly gay elected official (Harvey Milk), birthplace of the rabow flag, the first cy the Uned Stat to legalize gay marriage and host of the bt damn Pri para  the untry—remas a major LGBTQ+ epicenter. (They don't ll the 'gay pal of the world' for nothg.

THE GAY TRAVELER’S GUI TO SAN FRANCIS

So whether you're here June or not, honor SF's storied gay history at the mms, bars and cultural landmarks.

Nicknamed the “gay pal of the world, ” the famo Harvey Milk fought to make a place of universal acceptance where the LGTBQ muny n work, learn, and grow. It’s been lled “the origal gay-iendly cy” and will ntue to be that way for years to e.

MOVG TO LGBT SAN FRANCIS, CALIFORNIA? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!

In the 1970s, the cy began to attract more of the LGBTQ culture and that , the gay male populatn rose om 30, 000 to 100, 000. The gay muny forever beme a cril ntributor to the regn’s populatn. In the 20s and 30s the most popular gay neighborhood was North Beach, then Polk Gulch om to 50s to the 80s.

It’s one of the most gay-centric neighborhoods the world. This neighborhood has a strong queer Lato prence and was home to the first gay Lato bar San Francis lled Este Noche (along wh other plac like a La India Bona and El R).

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 INDIA MEXI BALI EGYPT CROATIA SOUTH AI SPA ICELAND THAILAND TURKEY MOROC ECUADOR GREECE JAPAN 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. EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN TRAVERSE STLAND’S MOST SCENIC LANDSP, OM WT AST TO EAST, TRAVELLG BY RAIL 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?

The area has a history of embracg sexualy and is rich gay nightlife. In 1994, the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance and Asian Pacific Sisters joed the Che New Year Para. Connect wh a top San Francis Gay Realtor today!

Dolor Park Consired the “gay urban beach” of the cy, Delor Park is on the wtern edge of the Missn District and is home to tennis urts, fun activi, pets galore, and people jt chillg out and enjoyg their day.

5 REASONS WHYSAN FRANCIS'S ORIGAL GAYBORHOOD REMAS TIMELS

The GLBT Historil Society Consired the home of Gay History, the mm is loted the Castro. SF Gay Pri – June The San Francis Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr Pri Celebratn is also known as the San Francis Pri. Held every June, ’s a massive, multi-day extravaganza of everythg on the pla gay.

There are no qutns asked when wonrg if San Francis is gay-iendly. Click here to nnect wh a San Francis Gay Realtor for a no obligatn nversatn today!

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

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. As the fai moved out, dishonorably discharged servicemen moved , most charged wh sodomy or “homosexual acts”. Milk was the first openly gay elected official California history, but he was assassated a year later.

THE BT GAY BARS SAN FRANCIS

Risg numbers ntued to appear among the gay muni, mostly New York and San Francis. 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. 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.

Most people might assume that the Castro has always been San Francis’s ma gayborhood, but that wasn’t always the se.

THE 10 BEST SAN FRANCIS GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SAN FRANCIS

Before the 1970s, San Francis’s gay muny hung out on the Polk Gulch district. To this day, Polk Street is home to the olst operatg gay bar the cy.

THE CASTRO, SAN FRANCIS GAY DISTRICT

Check out Chambers, the swanky rtrant si the inic Phoenix Hotel, which was found the 1980s by openly gay San Francis hotelier, Chip Conley. It’s not jt gay men who have a soft spot for Polk Gulch!