September 17, 1859
On this date in 1859, Joshua Norton proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States, becoming one of SF’s most colorful characters and setting the stage for the world’s first international drag organization slightly over one hundred years later.
September 6, 1860
On this date in 1860, Jane Addams, a social worker and suffragette now honored on Castro’s Rainbow Honor Walk, was born in Illinois.
September 6, 1947
On this date in 1947, disco legend Sylvester (“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”) was born in Watts, Los Angeles.
September 11, 1948
On this date in 1948, lesbian author Jewelle Gomez was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She now lives in San Francisco, where she works as Director of Grants and Community Initiatives for Horizons Foundation and serves as President of the San Francisco Public Library Commission.
September 24, 1951
On this date in 1951, Mark Leno was born in Wisconsin. He was appointed by Mayor Willie Brown to the SF Board of Supervisors in April of 1998, and later represented San Francisco in the State Assembly and currently the State Senate.
September 8, 1954
On this date in 1954, a police raid on lesbian bars 12 Adler and Tommy’s Place results in jail time for two and both bars closing for good.
September 21, 1955
On this date in 1955, the Daughters of Bilitis was founded in San Francisco, becoming the nation’s first lesbian rights organization.
September 11, 1961
On this date in 1961, San Francisco’s PBS channel KQED aired “The Rejected,” the first documentary on homosexuality.
September 14, 1961
On this date in 1961, the largest police raid in San Francisco history targeted the Tay Bush Inn, an after-hours gay club on Taylor and Bush.
September 22, 1974
On this date in 1974, Sara Jane Moore’s attempt to assassinate President Ford was blocked by Oliver Sipple, who was ultimately outed by the publicity. Many speculate that Sipple was never invited to the White House or thanked in person by President Ford because of his sexual orientation. Months later, Ford sent Sipple a brief thank-you note.
September 8, 1975
On this date in 1975, Leonard Matlovich became the first openly-LGBT person to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
September 28, 1993
The “Tales of the City” miniseries, based on Armistead Maupin’s San Francisco-based book of the same name, first premiered on Channel 4 in the UK. It later aired on PBS in the United States in January of 1994.
September 21, 1996
On this date in 1996, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act banning federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
September 1, 2007
On this date in 2007, the Metro reopened at 2124 Market (now Blackbird) after losing their lease at what is now the LookOut.
September 14, 2007
On this date in 2007, the LookOut opened at 3600 16th Street in a spot that the Metro had held for 26 years.
September 5, 2008
On this date in 2008, the last Lucky Pierre party was held at The Stud.
September 6, 2013
On this date in 2013, over a thousand mourners attended the funeral for Jose Sarria, First Empress of San Francisco, in Grace Cathedral.
