From some of the oldest gay bars in the country to the famous Castro Theater, spending time in this neighborhood is an eye-opening experience into the creation of the modern LGBTQ community. The area was also one of the hardest hit in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This was the land of Harvey Milk’s successful campaign, becoming the first openly gay person to ever be elected to office in California. Every corner of this neighborhood has a story to tell. Visiting the Castro is like taking a step into history. Areas like the Tenderloin and the Castro began booming as LGBTQ epicenters. After the military discharged thousands of LGBTQ servicemen in San Francisco due to their sexuality, the city’s reputation would cemented forever.
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San Francisco already had a sizable gay population, which some LGBTQ lore credits all the way back to the days of the California Gold Rush. The Castro, San Francisco San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood (Photo:Adrianok) It’s called the Stonewall National Monument and is a new national park unit located in Christopher Park. In front of the Stonewall sits a small park with statues commemorating the 1969 riots. The West Village is quaint and filled with beautiful old brick townhouses and cute shops. What you might not know about the Stonewall is that it’s actually a very welcoming and accessible place. From there, the modern LGBTQ rights movement was ignited. Gay bars were regularly raided by the police for various reasons, but on this night there was a certain spark in the air, and the patrons decided they had had enough and chose to fight back.
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One night in 1969 the Stonewall, a dive bar in Manhattan’s West Village, was raided by police for running without a liquor license. You probably already know about the Stonewall Inn. The Stonewall Inn, New York City The Stonewall Inn located in Manhattan’s West Village (Photo: Osugi) What better ways to educate ourselves and be stewards to others than to go and visit the important places where LGBTQ history was made? Below is a list of 4 places that are an integral part of what it means to be gay in the world today.
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There are lots of places you can travel to, but don’t you want to go somewhere meaningful? The history and culture of the gay community is one that a lot of the world is still discovering.