The Castro District, San Francisco

The Castro District, San Francisco

The Castro District in Eureka Valley was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States, and continues to be a beacon in the fight for equal rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

The Castro District in Eureka Valley was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States, and continues to be a beacon in the fight for equal rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The flamboyant neighborhood is a centre for activism, hosting gay pride parades, protests, and events for people of diverse orientations. Walking tours are a great way to understand the inclusive culture of the Castro District and learn about its historical contribution to the gay rights movement. See rows of glitzy shops and bars with the rainbow flags flying high above the establishments, historic theaters, offbeat boutiques, adult shops, and rip-roaring nightclubs.

The Castro Street is the arterial road of the neighborhood. One of the landmarks on the stretch is the Castro Theatre, an Art Deco movie theater built in 1922 and lovingly restored to host local film festivals and showcase a repertory of classic films. Its grand Wurlitzer organ is a huge draw.

The Harvey Milk Plaza honors the eponymous leader of the gay rights movement and the district's most famous resident with a giant 30 x 20 ft rainbow flag on a 70 foot flagpole. Milk's home, camera store, and campaign headquarters at 575 Castro today houses the Human Rights Campaign Action Center and Store. There is a memorial plaque and commemorative mural inside, and you can pick up souvenirs such as T-shirts, key chains, lapel pins, bracelets, necklaces and sterling silver jewelry. A mural on the window of the building shows Milk looking down on the street.

Further down the Castro Street is the Rainbow Honor Walk, an LGBT Walk of Fame featuring bronze plaques honoring gay icons on the sidewalk.

The GLBT Museum traces over 100 years of LGBT history in the United States and equal rights movements that have shaped the culture of the city.

The Pink Triangle Park is a memorial to the thousands of persecuted gays in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Homosexuals were forced to identify themselves by pink triangle badges on their clothes, and the memorial is a solemn reminder of the oppression.

The Castro District has several vibrant nightclubs and bars, of which Twin Peaks is famous for being first gay bar in the city.