Sexuality in San Francisco

Although San Francisco has had a long history of supporting same-sex relationships, it really began to blossom in the years after World War II. Upon returning from war, many soldiers who had been discharged from the army for being gay moved to the Castro, a local SF neighborhood. An area that used to be known as “Eureka Valley,” the Castro experienced a great exodus of white families into the suburbs after the war and attracted groups of gay men and women thereafter. San Francisco had the reputation of being progressive, and queer people therefore became attracted to it. As more gay people moved to the Castro, a movement began to form. The Castro was not just a neighborhood where a lot of gay people lived – the social, political and economic climate of the area began to change. Gay Rights associations formed, Harvey Milk was elected to the city’s Board of Supervisors, and gay bars, restaurants, clubs were established. In 1969, there were 50 gay organizations and by 1973 there were over 800 of them. The Gay Rights movement was in full effect. Although people like Harvey Milk paved the way for gay representation in California, his assassination in 1978 caused an uproar in the city.