Must-See Queer History in San Francisco and Los Angeles
SAN FRANCISCOStart in San Francisco’s gayborhood, the Castro District, at the intersection of Market and Castro Streets.
The Harvey Milk Plaza is the spiritual and geographic heart of the Castro and honors the courageous gay activist and member of the city’s Board of Supervisors who was affectionately known as the “Mayor of Castro Street.” The easily accessible plaza now sits above the Castro’s Muni Metro Station on the city’s mostly underground light rail system.
It’s been an important queer space for years. A candelight vigil was held there in November 1978 after Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White, and the plaza was informally named in Milk’s honor the following year, then officially in 1985.Also in the Castro, the Rainbow Honor Walk runs along Market Street — the city’s main drag, so to speak — between Noe Street and Castro Street and also down Castro Street from Market to 20th Street.
Created in 2008, it features 36 bronze sidewalk plaques that honor LGBTQ+ individuals who have made a significant impact on global history.
