In 2004, LGBTQ activists began a sustained effort accusing gay Badlands owner Les Natali of discriminating against Black patrons of the Castro bar.
The Bay Area Reporter extensively covered the case, including protests outside the bar, the investigation by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and interviews with Natali and activists with And Castro For All, the group that filed the complaint with the HRC.
After a 10-month investigation, in 2005 the HRC blasted Natali in a report, finding that he discriminated against both staff and patrons based on race.
Later that year, Natali agreed to mediation with former mayor Willie Brown, and the state Alcoholic Beverage Control upheld Natali's liquor license.