LGBTQ Walking Tour of North Beach, San Francisco's Original Gayborhood

LGBTQ Walking Tour of North Beach, San Francisco's Original Gayborhood

A 90-minute walking tour of the Barbary Coast, where you'll learn about queer heroes who were out and proud about their “unspeakable vice."

By Unspeakable Vice

Select date and time

Saturday, June 22 · 11am - 1pm PDT

Location

Outside the SF Historical Society

608 Commercial Street San Francisco, CA 94108

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.
Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

  • 2 hours

Decades before Stonewall, the rainbow flag, or Harvey Milk, queer-friendly entertainment venues were all over the Barbary Coast, providing some of the earliest prototypes of LGBTQ spaces and often showcasing revolutionary gender non-conformity. Hear how a Latino drag queen became the first open-gay candidate for office, a Black "bomber" lit up marquees with salacious lyrics, and scores of queer womxn who resisted the Lavendar Scare.

This tour ends at the site of a former lesbian supper club and includes a round of drinks to honor the gathering and bonding of our "queercestors."

Frequently asked questions

How rigorous is the walk?

The walk is about 0.8 miles (1km) and involves one slight hill (~80ft). If you have any issues with the distance or elevation, reach out and guides can make adjustments.

Are there any bathroom or food breaks?

It's best to use the restrooms ahead of time at the San Francisco Historical Society, our starting point. There are some opportunities to run into spots for a coffee, but we prefer to keep the tour moving. We end at a venue where restrooms and refreshments are available.

Is this walk kid-friendly?

This tour is ideal for folks 21 and up. While entering the ending bar and having a drink is optional, there are some stories along the way that mention sexual behaviors which may raise more questions than answers for little ears.

Tags

Organized by

Unspeakable Vice

Uncover the story of every gayborhood

Unspeakable Vice researches and shares the stories often left out of queer history narratives. We know the story of queer activism is often less linear, more diverse, and raunchier than Pride-month news pieces depict. By uncovering these stories, we seek to create a fuller picture of queer life that inspires people to continue pursuing the yet-unrealized dream of queer liberation.

When you come out of the closet, no one hands you a queer history textbook—and in some states that would now be illegal. We want to be a resource to anyone curious about how today's community came together—to inspire the next generation of activists who are more like their heroes than they realize.

Early bird discount
$28 – $35