Can anyone help me out with a little history here? I was explaining

[hedgehog]

to my son that a lot of people people were very naive/ignorant/uniformed back in the 50's. (I'll let you choose the adverb.) I was explaining to him that my mother had no idea what "Homosexual" was until my father told her, and that as far as I knew, he found out while he was in the Navy. I also told him that they didn't know anyone who was gay and out.

My son pondered this a few minutes, then asked:

"Weren't they living in San Franciso?"

So my question is, when did San Fransisco become a Mecca/refuge/home for gays, and when did the straight community learn about this?

[Tippy]

1. Little history

As it turns out, the military is the main reason so many gay men settled in San Francisco. During World War II, the United States armed forces "sought out and dishonorably discharged" homosexuals. Many men who were expelled for being gay were processed at San Francisco bases.

This site agrees, stating San Francisco was indeed a point of departure during World War II. Gay men often stayed in the city after completing their military service. Since then, San Francisco's gay and lesbian population has continued to grow.

In the 1960s, an activist organization called the Society of Individual Rights (SIR) gained steam in San Francisco and made many advances in gay rights. Additionally, the 1978 murder of gay city supervisor Harvey Milk inspired residents, particularly those in the city's Castro district, to speak out for gay rights. Today, San Francisco has the highest concentration of gay men, women, and same-sex couples in the country and possibly the world.

http://ask.yahoo.com/20060502.html

[The_Commonist]

2. The 1970's

S.F. was always a Mecca for whackos, (I was born and mostly lived there until I was 30) but the gay community didn't become sizable and noticeable until the 70's.

[GodlessBiker]

3. 1965 or sooner...

"January 1, 1965 New Year's Eve costume ball at California Hall to raise funds for the Council on Religion and the Homosexual was harassed by police. It became a turning point in the San Francisco gay rights movement. ACLU took the case, which was dismissed." --Chronology of San Francisco Rock (and more) 1965-1969

[zipplewrath]

4. A more accurate term might be POLITICAL center

There were/have been many centers of homosexual populations over the decades. San Fransisco's claim has more to do with politics than anything else. Even at that, the Stonewall Riots were in NYC. But much of the early political activity was in San Fransisco, which is also the center of much modern liberal activity. That aspect probably has something to do with the collection of colleges, which probably also has a relationship to the California collegiate system of the day.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Can't answer your question, but I knew what a homosexual was in 1959. I was 11 years old and lived

in the middle of a farming community in Ohio!

[hedgehog]

7. That's why I changed my OP to say a lot of people - I can really

only testify about my ethnic community.

As a matter of fact, I look back at a lot of relatives and wonder if this one or that one were around today, would they call themselves members of the GBLT community? I strongly suspect so, but in that time and place, there was no such thing. Regardless of their orientation, they didn't have a framework or model for anything but a straight orientation. So, instead of having family members who were GBLT, I have a lot of relatives from back then who stayed single and tended to be heavy drinkers.

[mitchtv]

9. when I was a kid in NYC in the 50's

kids would run three blocks to see a "queer"

[LeftHander]

6. you just made your son gay....talking about gay.

Jesus save him...it's not too late.

QUICK!!! THE GOP will enact a resolution to stop the gay agenda!!!!

[hedgehog]

8. You're too late with your warning - he goes out bar hopping with his sister

sometimes. They're both looking for girls......

:yoiks:

[readmoreoften]

10. Late 60s and 70s.

[QC]

11. It began, supposedly, during WWII, because discharged troops

were processed through SFO, and many stayed there rather than return to the provinces and have to explain why they got kicked out.

That's what I've heard, anyway. It makes sense, but I wouldn't swear to it.

[Libertas1776]

12. yeah

that's also how i understand it.