How did San Francisco become so popular with gay people?
Jeff,
Miami, Florida

Dear Jeff:In addition to its earthquakes and the
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
is widely known for its high population of gays and lesbians. How did so many
gay people come to call the city by the bay their home? The answer may surprise
you... 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.