Clash of Cultures & the Discovery of Gold      123456

Enormous Changes in the 1970s — the Castro

In 1972, when gays in most cities still experienced profound discrimination, San Francisco passed an anti-discrimination ordinance. By that time homosexuals had established dozens of organizations and had even begun to influence local elections.

In the 1970s, the city's Castro district became an important destination for thousands of gay men and lesbians. One of the leaders of this growing community was gay activist and future San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk. A former New York stockbroker, Millk had settled in San Francisco in 1972 and opened a small camera store on Castro Street. He quickly immersed himself in the gay rights movement.

In 1977, San Francisco changed the way it elected its Board of Supervisors from citywide to district elections. Residents of District 8 in San Francisco, which included the Castro neighborhood, elected Harvey Milk. In a tragic turn of events, Milk, along with Mayor George Moscone, was assassinated in 1978 by disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White, who had recently resigned. 

Despite the assassination of a key political leader, gays and lesbians in San Francisco continued to make important strides toward equality. Since Milk’s election, other gay men and lesbians have held positions on the city's Board of Supervisors as well as other public offices around the country.

By the 1980s the Castro district, which had given birth to the gay rights movement, became known worldwide as a mecca for homosexuals. Throughout that decade San Francisco continued to break new ground in the movement for gay and lesbian rights, passing early legislation allowing same-sex couples to register as domestic partners. Other cities around the country looked to San Francisco for inspiration and guidance about enacting gay rights legislation.