Demolition of the Tool Box, San Francisco’s second gay leather bar. Located at Fourth
and Harrison streets, the bar was open 1962-1971. The building was torn down in 1975.Photo: Henri Leleu; copyright © GLBT Historical Society.
San Francisco — The GLBT History Museum is partnering with San Francisco Architectural Heritage and HeritageYP to sponsor a discussion of the public and private spaces that illuminate the history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender life in California. “These Walls Can Speak: Telling the Stories of Queer Places” is set for Thursday, August 16, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the museum, located at 4127 18th St. in the city’s Castro District.
“Working with Heritage is a perfect fit for us, given our long-term commitment to preserving GLBT history and finding innovative ways to tell the stories of San Francisco’s queer past,” said Paul Boneberg, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, the institution that sponsors the museum. “The traces of our history are hidden in plain view all around us in the structures and streets of the city. Discovering those traces and making them visible is a great way to both honor our GLBT ancestors and enrich our experience of the urban environment.”
From big cities to small towns to rural areas, the discussion will focus on how queer historic sites are being preserved, documented and interpreted — and will highlight the initiatives needed to ensure that significant sites are recognized and protected. Transgender pioneer Felicia Elizondo, historian and curator Gerard Koskovich, architect Alan Martinez, preservation consultant and architect Gerry Takano and architectural historian Shayne Watson will participate in the panel; architectural historian Carson Anderson will serve as moderator.
Following the presentations, audience members will be invited to share their memories of queer places and to suggest creative ideas for bringing the stories of GLBT historic sites to life.
Admission is $12.00 for the general public; $8.00 for members of the GLBT Historical Society and San Francisco Architectural Heritage. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.glbthistory.org.
ABOUT THE GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM
The GLBT History Museum is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. Currently featured are two major exhibitions: “Our Vast Queer Past: Celebrating San Francisco’s GLBT History” and “Life and Death in Black and White: AIDS Direct Action in San Francisco, 1985-1990.” The museum is a project of the GLBT Historical Society, a research center and archives founded in 1985 that houses one of the world’s largest collections of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical materials.
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE & HERITAGE YP
Founded in 1971, San Francisco Architectural Heritage works to preserve and enhance San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Heritage aims to help manage change over time, advocating for smart growth through the protection and reuse of historic structures and landscapes. The organization’s Young Preservationists Network (HeritageYP) is a social and networking group for those under 40 interested in historic preservation and related fields in the Bay Area. For more information, visit www.sfheritage.org.
Scott’s Pit, a lesbian bar in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood, open
1970-1984. The space is now the garage of a private residence.
Photo: Henri Leleu; copyright © GLBT Historical Society.
