Harvey Milk first took to his soapbox in early August of 1973 at the small plaza at
the corner of Castro and Market St, in what was fast becoming the largest and most active
gay community in all the world.
Harvey Milk was assassinated eleven months after winning the position of San
Francisco supervisor, and that significant plaza has since been renamed Harvey Milk
Plaza in honor of all that the fiery unofficial mayor of the Castro accomplished in his
shortened life.
He pioneered an impressive influx of gay people from all over the nation, leading
by example.
The Castro maintains its identity as the most vibrant gay community in the nation,
if not the world. It is a must-do pilgrimage for many LGBT-identified people, as it
represents the first time that gays had been able to claim a neighborhood as their own and
live their lives unapologetically in the open.
The energy is quite something, with the bright lights of the striking Castro Theatre
dominating the street, and the sidewalks almost always packed with people of different
orientations, nationalities and denominations.
It is the heart of SF gay life, and as such you will find the majority of gay life
around the intersection of 18th and Castro. Restaurants, bars, nightclubs, community
centers and a fun array of boutiques and shops await you.
“You gotta give ‘em hope,” Harvey famously said. So hope on, and get to the
Castro at least once in your gay travels!