Memorial Day is when we honor fallen soldiers through the ancient art of barbeque. And in beautiful Dolores Park, in the heart of Golden Gate City, the gays commemorated their butts off.
On the southwest corner of the park (by 20th and Church) the homo hippie hipsters congregated on what is fondly referred to as the Fruit Shelf – it’s also one of the best views in all of San Francisco. By 2pm, the sun was out, a few potentially-illegal barbeques were blazing, kites were flying, and hippies were selling magical brownies out of brown paper bags. (Be forewarned, they are very potent.)
Not that it mattered, but there was perhaps little knowledge of the fact that the gay population in San Francisco today owes their community, in many ways, to LGBT queer armed service members of the past. A touch of history: At the end of World War II, many homosexuals were discharged from the armed forces. Too shamed to go home, many chose to stay in the port city where they were dropped off and San Francisco, consequently, got a bit queerer.
Around the country, it seems lounging and barbequing is the way to go. Perhaps you packed up for a long weekend and at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, or cruised with the boys at Fire Island Pines, or took your honey snorkeling in Key Largo.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Try to forget that now you’re chained back to your desk, reading Queerty, and wishing you had another bite of that Memorial Day hot dog.
Kev C
Useful info .. if you enjoy The Saturday Evening Post.
declanto
We ancients read Norman Mailer, too.
ewe
I knew a gay man in his eighties during the eighties in San Francisco that adamently told me he had never heard the word “gay” used until Herb Caen the SF Chronicle columnist coined the term years before in his written ramblings.
Eric Press
Is this really news? Save your patronizing lgbt history lessons for people who care about the military