History Live! How San Francisco Became America's "Gay Capital"
Date and Time
- Tuesday, Jun 10, 2025 6:30pm - 8pm
Location
San Francisco Historical Society
608 Commercial St
Details
About the Event:
For more than sixty years, San Francisco has been a beacon for LGBTQ people from all over the world. But how did it achieve this role? The true story begins more than 200 years before the rainbow flag or Harvey Milk. Hear the surprising story of how a parade of saloon owners, drag queens, sex workers, psychologists, hair fairies, Pentagon officials, and armed Evangelical activists together made San Francisco America’s "Gay Capital."
About Shawn Sprockett:
Shawn is a designer and senior adjunct professor in San Francisco, where he has lived for ten years. He has been studying lesser-known queer history in the city since 2018 and now runs a volunteer queer history walking tour project called Unspeakable Vice, which highlights queer heroes, stories, and places beyond the Castro.
Event Schedule:
Tuesday, June 10th
6:00 PM, In-person please join us for light refreshments and socializing (and to accommodate filming)
6:30 PM, Livestream and in-person presentation starts
Location: 608 Commercial Street, San Francisco (in-person or livestream)
There are public transportation options (including Muni and BART) and several parking garages with ample parking close to the venue (including the Portsmouth Square Garage).