The Gay Guide to Off-The-Beaten-Path San Francisco
By Dallas Voice
With Milk Day last month and Gay Pride celebrated throughout June, San Francisco is on the mind of many gays who respected the openly gay member of the city’s board of supervisors. More than 30 years later, SF is still a symbol of gay culture the world over.
A map of the City by the Bay is a catalogue of familiarly named neighborhoods and pop culture landmarks: The Castro, Russian Hill, The Embarcadero, Chinatown, The Presidio. There is no one San Francisco experience, though certainly there are touristy things to do, like heading to Fishermen’s Wharf. Try to avoid them. Or don’t, but know you’re not necessarily in for a unique experience (the eateries and “boutiques” on the Wharf are as generic as Iowa.)
The Castro is, of course, the gay epicenter of San Francisco, or even California, if not the Western Hemisphere — there are more rainbows visible here than at a leprechaun convention. Gay boutiques like Phantom and Does Your Mother Know sell eroticwear, sex toys and porn; local businesses proudly tout camp names like The Sausage Factory (a restaurant) and Hand Job (a nail salon). It’s a district best explored on your own, though Outfit, which sells trendy, reasonably priced clubwear, is a good place to start.
Read the full story at Dallas Voice
