For Gay & Lesbian Travelers

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Back to San FranciscoSan Francisco: For Gay & Lesbian Travelers

If you head down to the Castro -- an area surrounding Castro Street near Market Street -- you'll understand why the city is a mecca for gay and lesbian travelers. Since the 1970s, this unique part of town has remained a colorfully festive neighborhood, teeming with "outed" city folk who meander the streets shopping, eating, partying, or cruising. If anyone feels like an outsider in this part of town, it's heterosexuals, who, although warmly welcomed in the community, may feel uncomfortable or downright threatened if they harbor any homophobia or aversion to being "cruised." For many San Franciscans, it's just a fun area (especially on Halloween) with some wonderful shops.

Gays and lesbians make up a good deal of San Francisco's population, so it's no surprise that clubs and bars all over town cater to them. Although lesbian interests are concentrated primarily in the East Bay (especially Oakland), a significant community resides in the Mission District, around 16th and Valencia streets.

Several local publications concentrate on in-depth coverage of news, information, and listings of goings-on around town for gays and lesbians. The Bay Area Reporter has the most comprehensive listings, including a weekly calendar of events. Distributed free on Thursday, it can be found stacked at the corner of 18th and Castro streets and at Ninth and Harrison streets, as well as in bars, bookshops, and stores around town. It may also be available in gay and lesbian bookstores elsewhere in the country.

Guides & Publications -- For a good book selection, contact Giovanni's Room, 345 S. 12th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 (tel. 215/923-2960; www.giovannisroom.com), and A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro St., San Francisco, CA 94114 (tel. 415/431-0891; www.adlbooks.com). There's another Different Light location in Los Angeles (tel. 310/854-6601).

For other guides, try the Spartacus International Gay Guide and Odysseus, both good, annual English-language guidebooks focused on gay men; and the Damron guides (www.damron.com), with separate, annual books for gay men and lesbians.

You can also get lowdown on the best gay or gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other places in San Francisco or around the world by subscribing to Gay.com, which costs $10 for one month, $20 for additional months, or $89 for a year.

Organizations -- The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; tel. 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses; go to their website and click on "Members."

Travel Agencies -- Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries specifically for gay and lesbian travelers. Now, Voyager (tel. 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.com) is a well-known San Francisco-based gay-owned and operated travel service. You might also want to try Skylink Women's Travel, 1455 N. Dutton Ave, Suite A, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 (tel. 800/225-5759 or 707/546-1212).