Gay clubs san francisco lesbian

The Mint — Market. Mint lesbian the Safeway supermarket. Originally a steakhouse and piano bar, it evolved into a karaoke bar in If The Mint is within the boundaries of the Castro area, it is the longest san operated gay bar to operate with the same name. Marginalized, much like their clientele, they were frequently found in underdeveloped or industrial sections of a town or well off the beaten path in rural areas.

Often veiled behind tinted glass, with narrow entrances to allow doorkeepers to screen patrons, the bars tended to hide the goings-on within from the general public—and the police—as a matter of survival. During the s and s, police routinely raided venues and harassed patrons.

In the late s, amid the burgeoning of the modern American gay and lesbian rights movement, bars started coming out of the dark, announcing themselves with neon gay. They often became community centers, providing a safe place for marginalized members of society to socialize, organize events, sponsor sports teams, and enjoy eating together.

Many of these bars are long gone, though there are a few surviving sites. Open from — Eventually developed francisco rough trade atmosphere. Rock performances during early s quasi-gay punk. Photo buy Henri Leleu. Photo by Henri Leleu. A great combination of sign typologies fascia and projecting with what appears to be a porcelain finish.

Twin Peaks Tavern — Castro Street. When the lesbian owners opened the doors and uncovered the windows, it made history as the club gay bar in America to feature full-length, open plate glass windows that let its patrons and the public see each other. An additional neon martini glass extends over the edge of the sign.

The rainbow arrows, animated by synchronized flashing lights, aim toward the commercial entrance. Photo by Al Barna.

Neon Comes Out: San Francisco’s Neon Gay Bar Signs of the 1960s and 1970s

Open from —, owner Rikki Streicher claimed it as the oldest lesbian bar in the U. Note the double-sided projecting sign with an indicator arrow incorporated into the cabinet design and the martini glass with a painted background. Unfortunately, only a few neon signs with background paintings are left in San Francisco.

Lexington Club — 19th Street. This long-gone, much-lamented lesbian watering hole, which operated from —, is now Wildhawk. Gangway — Larkin Street. The Gangway has been publicly identified as a gay bar since