San Francisco explored
Victoria Ireland reports from everyone’s favourite gay mecca. Go west!
San Francisco has many attributes which render it a great place to spend a few weeks.
Despite its location in California, however, its weather is not one of them! I am currently on a round-the-world trip and ventured to San Francisco (after Arizona, which perhaps amplified the weather contrast) as it had been recommended to me by several other travellers. I have also studied gay/queer culture via literature at university and was intrigued to explore and appreciate this side of the city.
Numerous gay and lesbian bars and clubs intermingling within residential and shopping streets, such as Castro Street and Mission, give an immediate, constant and overwhelming impression of diversity being celebrated over the city. Unfortunately, I visited at the end of May and June is their annual gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgender Pride month. However, despite missing out on the events themselves, I got an idea of the strong resonance that the month has for the city.
There is always a strong queer media presence, with the ‘Bay Area Reporter’ and the ‘Bay Times’ being popular and informative reads. Events happening during Pride Month are extensive and widely promoted. The 10th National Queer Arts Festival takes place this June and explores homosexual artists and themes within different works. The 25th Pride Parade this year is another significant event. The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival (June 14th - 24th) promises an extensive catalogue of films exploring and celebrating gay culture.
The GLBT Historical Society has a research area in the city centre which is open to the public and is home to a Museum, Achieve and Research Centre. Only one exhibition was open when I visited; it was entitled ‘Women Breaking Barriers’ and had opened on 17th May. Concerned with women’s music 1964-1984, it features information about artists such as Alix Dobkin and Linda Shear, and the formation of Olivia Records in 1973. I also gathered some information on another exhibition opening in June called ‘Out Ranks – GLBT Military Service’ from World War Two to Iraq. According to the leaflets, this is the ‘first Museum exhibit in the country to focus on the experiences of GLBT veterans and the American Military policy on homosexuality.’ The Women’s Cancer Research Centre is also running an exhibition (May 18th- June 28th) entitled, ‘Significant Others’ which features art from LGBTQ communities.
Castro Street is filled with rainbow flags, from the lamp posts to the rubbish bins. There is a plethora of gay-friendly bars and shops. Rainbow flags appear before you even arrive at the street itself and areas like Mission share a similar atmosphere. The Castro Theatre is a 1920s Art Deco building which is gay and lesbian friendly and shows plays and films. When I visited, the film showing was ‘Sing-a-long Grease’.
San Francisco has many bars and ventures aimed at the gay and lesbian community. One place I read about in the Bay Times, the ‘Sit and Spin Café and Laundromat’, has weekly gay philosophical discussion groups. There are far too many bars to describe them all (and to visit them all on a mere backpacker’s budget!) but the notable ones include ‘Badlands’ on Castro which features gay-friendly videos and a dance floor and 'The Mint' on Market Street, which is a well-known ‘queer karaoke bar’.
Spending a week in San Francisco meant that I had the chance to explore the city and try a variety of activities. I canrecommend buying a ‘Go San Francisco’ card which will enable you to do a wide variety of activities over a number of days. This enabled us to rent bikes which we cycled over the Golden Gate Bridge (the unique weather system really hits you when you arrive in Sausalito and it's so much warmer). Fisherman’s Wharf is worth a visit as it is the main tourist centre where you can sample fresh seafood at reasonable prices. San Francisco has an immense Chinese community and Chinatown is worth exploring. Go to Little Italy (near the famous ‘City Lights’ bookstore and publishers) and you will find plenty of busy restaurants, and this is also where my hostel was located.
It seems that there is far too much to say about San Francisco to fit into this article! I can conclude, however, that it is a fun and informative place to visit and I would love to go back (with more money!) to explore it further. Pride Month is heralded as a major event in the San Francisco calendar and June would therefore seem to be the perfect time to sample the excitement. Remember to pack warm clothes and buy a decent guide book (there are many specifically aimed at the homosexual traveller) and I can almost guarantee that you will have a fantastic time.
Staying there
I stayed at the Green Tortoise Hostel, which cost $25 each per night for a dorm room, which included breakfast (toasted bagels) and evening meal three times a week. There was activities most nights including free films and beer pong (with free beer). The GoSanFrancisco card can be purchased online.
