2017-12-22 15:07:11
San Francisco embraces its personality as one of the most exclusive — and inclusive — places for celebrating LGBTQ culture. Locations from North Beach to the Castro have demonstrated this distinction in different ways, representing some significant contributions to LGBTQ history. Here are a few places that make locals and visitors alike proud of the city. BLACK CAT CAFÉ In 1933, The Black Cat Café opened at 710 Montgomery St. and became the home base of drag performer and civil rights activist José Sarria in the 1950s and early 1960s. During a time when homosexuality was not fully accepted, the owner, Sol Stoumen, lost his liquor license in 1949 for serving “persons of homosexual tendencies.” After a successful fight in court, the California State Supreme Court legalized homosexual assembly — that is, the right to gather socially. Sarria went on to become the first openly gay person to run for office in the U.S. A street in the Castro now bears his name. GLIDE MEMORIAL CHURCH Three decades after it opened in the early 1930s, Glide Memorial Church (330 Ellis St.) joined the national movement among religious organizations to focus more actively on social justice. In 1964, Glide helped bring together homophile activists (precursors to the gay rights movement) and religious leaders in San Francisco to form the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) — the first organization in the U.S. to include “homosexual” in the title. GOLDEN GATE PARK/AIDS MEMORIAL GROVE The National AIDS Memorial Grove, or “The Grove,” is located in the eastern part of Golden Gate Park in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This is a dedicated space where millions of Americans affected directly or indirectly by AIDS can gather to honor, cherish, embrace and heal. GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES Celebrating San Francisco’s queer past, the GLBT History Museum (4127 18th St.) is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. The museum is a project of the GLBT Historical Society, which houses its famed archives that contain an impressive collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical materials. THEATRE RHINOCEROS Theatre Rhinoceros is the world’s oldest continuously-producing, professional queer theater, founded in 1977 by Allan B. Estes, Jr. Its mission is to produce works that enlighten, enrich and explore both the ordinary and extraordinary aspects of the queer community. Performance locations vary, but all indoor performances are at The Gateway Theatre (215 Jackson St.). TWIN PEAKS TAVERN When Twin Peaks Tavern (401 Castro St.) uncovered its panoramic picture windows in 1972, it became one of the first gay bars in the nation where patrons could be seen inside. This Castro classic has since been named a registered historic landmark and earned a reputation as one of the city’s most memorable and welcoming establishments.
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