The Plight of Gay Visibility: Intolerance in San Francisco, 1970–1979

Abstract

During the 1970s, San Francisco was often characterized as the “Gay Mecca” of the United States. While it's true that San Francisco was more supportive of the gay community during this period, this depiction often dismisses the problematic side of the increasing visibility of homosexuals. As with the increasing visibility of any minority group who is struggling to find its place in a community, the homosexual population in San Francisco soon found itself the target of anti-gay harassment and violence. This article hopes to elaborate on the published reports of intolerance that were chronicled by the gay community's own press.

Keywords:

• homosexual
• San Francisco
• intolerance
• violence
• visibility
• gay press

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Margaret Miller at Sonoma State University for her guidance and input throughout the process of writing this article.

Notes

1. These bars were so well known, that certain bars were listed as being off-limits to active duty military.

2. According to John D'Emilio (1992), by the late 1950s, “about thirty gay male and lesbian bars existed in the city” (p. 78). Boyd (2003) counts this court case as one of the main events that helped increase the visibility of the homophile movement.

3. According to Sides (2009), Life magazine's two-part series on homosexuality in June 1964 drew “unprecedented attention to the nascent homosexual community of San Francisco” (p. 84). This issue reportedly sold 7.3 million copies.

4. In order to be considered a “suspect class” one must either be found to have an “immutable trait” or said to “suffer discrimination” (Cordova, 1978,p. 20).

5. In 1973, Reverend Ray Broshear's created the vigilante group, the Lavendar Panthers. It was disbanded after only a few months. In 1975, a similar group, known as the Butterfly Brigade, was created.

6. “4 Year Sex Arrest Climb” (1972) notes that, in 1967, there were only 11 arrests, while in 1970 there were 97, and in 1971 there were 114. There were also 2,141 “misc. sex violations” in 1971, compared to 177 in 1967.

7. In an interview with an attorney for the Hispanic neighborhood, there is mention of an increased targeting of homosexuals by youths who felt their families were being displaced (Gorney, 1979)

8. “Prop 6 News,” (1978) also notes that the California Young Republicans voted unanimously to oppose this proposition.

9. It had been observed that “[p]olice are charged with feeling freer to harass homosexuals after the Moscone/Milk slayings” (Adams, 1979, p. 17).