The giant leather pride flag that flew over the nearly finished Eagle Plaza in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood was so frayed by the wind that it was quietly removed late last year.
The shredded fabric was an apt symbol for the battering the area's Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District experienced itself in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic decimated the finances of numerous LGBTQ businesses in SOMA, with bars forced to close, restaurants required to end indoor dining, and stores ordered to reduce shopper capacity.
The Stud nightclub turned into a virtual entertainment venue in hopes of one day opening in a new brick-and-mortar space. Blowbuddies, the area's last remaining sex club, shuttered for good as the health crisis wiped out its