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In the September 2014 Issue...
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Gentrification, Urban Transformation & Queer San Francisco
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Special program series at GLBT History Museum
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This month, the GLBT Historical Society will begin a free program series that spotlights how processes of urban renovation that once helped create spaces for queer community and culture now threaten to erase their presence. "The G Spot: Gentrification, Transformation and Queer San Francisco" will bring together historians, activists, residents and visitors to discuss the ways in which history can inform thinking about the place of GLBT people in urban settings today.
"San Francisco has long done things queerly, but the current earthquake of gentrification may change all that," said series cocurator Nan Alamilla Boyd, a professor at San Francisco State University. "GLBTQ communities have often been linked to gentrification in oversimplified ways. This series explores the more complicated reality of queer San Francisco's world-making, including its complicity in and resistance to troubling forces of economic development."
Through March 2015, the society will offer monthly community seminars at the GLBT History Museum that focus on specific themes in tandem with activities such as films, artist talks, author readings, walking tours and bar crawls.
"'The G Spot' queers the conversation about gentrification by inviting everyone into an engaging dialogue about GLBT history, memory and the challenges of urban transformation," said series cocurator Don Romesburg, a professor at Sonoma State University. "Our community seminars and cultural events provide an exciting opportunity to discuss the ways that sexuality and gender shape urban development, racial belonging and displacement, and possibilities for social justice."
To foster a robust dialogue that goes beyond the "panelists talking to an audience" format, the curators will make brief and accessible readings available one month prior to each seminar to everyone who has registered. Community participants are encouraged to sign up for the series of seminars before the September 11 kickoff, but anyone can drop in or out at any time. With support from a generous sponsorship by San Francisco State University, the programs and events in the series will be free and open to all.
The September events are listed below. See the complete schedule of events here, then register online and view the list of suggested readings.
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In the Archives and Out on 18th Street
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This year, the GLBT Historical Society acquired a wall hanging and beer mug from the Tool Box, one of the city's first leather bars, which operated from 1962 to 1971 at Fourth and Harrison streets. The wall hanging is a metal shield with a flail and ax, and the mug is from the 4th Annual Tool Box Run in 1966. These items belonged to Roger Sinclair, who was a member of a gay motorcycle club. We thank Scott Michaels for the donation.
See photographs of the interior of the Tool Box in 1964: The Year San Francisco Came Out, on view now in the front gallery at the GLBT History Museum. |
In the 1970s and 80s, Valencia Street was a corridor of lesbian life in San Francisco. This poster promoted the first Women's Street Fair, held on Valencia Street on September 4, 1983. It's part of the "Gayborhoods" section of Queer Past Becomes Present, the exhibition currently on view in the GLBT History Museum's main gallery. |
Upcoming Events
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First Wednesday means free admission
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September 3 is the first Wednesday of the month, which means free admission all day to The GLBT History Museum, courtesy of the Bob Ross Foundation. |
The first events in the G Spot series will explore what it means to claim GLBT homelands. How does this occupation relate to the pursuit of "safe space"? What kinds of spaces of belonging and safety have existed historically for diverse queer people? How have they been contested and policed? How have they changed over time?
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Michelle Tea
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Thursday, September 11, 7 - 9 p.m. IN CONVERSATION: Nan Alamilla Boyd, Raquel Guti�rrez and Don Romesburg.
Friday, September 26, 7 - 9 p.m.
ARTS PROGRAM: "Going Down on Valencia." A reading by Michelle Tea with comment by Vero Majano, filmmaker; Darius Bost, SFSU professor; and Jillian Sandell, SFSU professor.
These events will happen at the GLBT History Museum at 4127 18th St. in San Francisco, and are free. Register online and view the list of suggested readings. |
Unmasked, the GLBT Historical Society Annual Gala, will happen on Wednesday, October 29 at the elegant Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street in San Francisco. Enjoy entertainment, a hosted bar, gourmet hors d'oeuvres and a silent auction. Details here. |
Visit Us (Online or in the Flesh)
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Curious about our vast queer past?
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For exhibitions and programs, join us at...
The GLBT History Museum 4127 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 415-621-1107 / www.glbthistorymuseum.org Open Sunday noon-5 p.m.; Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
For research at our Archives, come to...
The GLBT Historical Society 657 Mission Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105 415-777-5455 / www.glbthistory.org See our research hours here.
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Copyright � 2014 GLBT Historical Society
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