Combined, these mark the genesis of the Gay Freedom Day Parade. Today, Polk Street is home to a wide range of LGBTQ-friendly restaurants, bars, nightclubs and Disco Diva clubs, such as the Cinch and the Lush Lounge. The following day a “gay-in” took place in Golden Gate Park drawing hundreds more. Thirty courageous people risked it all to march down Polk Street to City Hall in a time when any association with homosexuality risked discrimination and worse. The annual Fleet Week, when military guys and, increasingly, gals, descend on the city, is a highly celebrated occasion for the LGBTQ community where sexy men in uniform can be spotted in every corner of the city from the Marina to the Castro letting freedom reign in the post-Don’t Ask, Don’t tell world. Today, the military has markedly little presence and most of the bases have turned into tourist attractions, housing developments, or local hangouts. Thousands of young male enlistees descended on city looking for love, sometimes with each other, sometimes with locals who were their fans. It was a symbol of freedom for 1,650,000 men, as it was the last part of the country that they glimpsed before they saw combat on foreign lands, and the first thing that they saw when they returned.
San Francisco became a military stronghold during WWII, establishing bases like Fort Funston and Fort Mason. As you walk along the blocks in this area, you will learn about many people who excelled in their fields, performed the activist work needed to make the LGBTQ community what it is today, and contributed their hearts and souls to this cause. You need to check out the Rainbow Honor Walk that recognizes prominent LGBTQ individuals who made a long-lasting impact throughout their lives. Today, you can buy handmade goods directly from LGBTQ makers, find your way to the dance floors, or enjoy the music coming from multiple stages.įorget the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This street celebration dates back to 1974, when founder Harvey Milk brought artists, vendors and artisans together in this community fair. Find a hotel in the Castro neighborhood.Īnother highlight of the Castro District is the Castro Street Fair, held every month in October. Make some time to explore the GLBT History Museum and learn more about the struggles of the past, then party the night away at the QBar. Every store, restaurant, bar and nightclub in this district welcomes you with open arms, with none of the stress you typically have when you're trying to figure out if a business is LGBTQ-friendly in other cities.
LGBTQ neighborhoods and make your way right to the LGBTQ center of San Francisco. Take a walk through history in one of the original U.S. Here are some of reasons why San Francisco became the world’s gay mecca: Castro Neighborhood Which helps explain why the city has come to be known as the epicenter of the worldwide LGBTQ community. San Francisco is the city ruled by love and celebration of diversity.