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Please Note: The author retains the copyright while the New Jersey Institute of Technology reserves the right to distribute this thesis or dissertation Printing note: If you do not wish to print this page, then select “Pages from: first page # to: last page #” on the print dialog screen The Van Houten library has removed some of the personal information and all signatures from the approval page and biographical sketches of theses and dissertations in order to protect the identity of NJIT graduates and faculty. ABSTRACT THE MAKING AND MEANING OF GAY SPACE: THE CASE OF THE CASTRO IN SAN FRANCISCO by Scott Richard Lesher Architecture is more than the history, design and construction of buildings; it is also the creation, defining, redefining, and use of space. An understanding of these non-brick- and-mortar aspects includes how the use and meaning of that space changes over time. Gay space, specifically gay male space, is studied as both material space and social space. Material space is the 'brick and mortar' space designed for this purpose or created out of existing space, such as a room, building or neighborhood. Social spaces are the areas where human interaction occurs, such as block parties and festivals; it is more about the activities that occur than the places where they are held, even when those spaces have symbolic meanings. Gay space is studied in the context of material and social 'space' in general; the Castro is looked at in the context of gay space. The knowledge thus gained can be used by urban and social planners and in heritage preservation and tourism. The Castro is an internationally recognized gay ghetto, continuing a tradition in the city dating back at least 100 years. It is also a living, changing neighborhood, subject to the same pressures as other districts. There are two periods to the Castro as gay space: the pre-AIDS and AIDS periods. Social, economic, and political factors operate in both periods, with the neighborhood's material and social space changing as mainstream gay and non-gay society changes. As the Castro evolves a new type of gay space is created, that of myth, imagination and remembrance; this space is both material and social. ABSTRACT (continued) With alternate futures possible, it is not clear whether a gay ghetto is even needed in San Francisco anymore. However, what has been learned by studying the Castro is useful in understanding and creating gay and specialized spaces elsewhere. THE MAKING AND MEANING OF GAY SPACE: THE CASE OF THE CASTRO IN SAN FRANCISCO by Scott Richard Lesher A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture New Jersey School of Architecture January 2008 AOA AGE h Mn nd Mnn f G Sp: h C f th Ctr n Sn rn Stt hrd hr eye Ceik esis Aiso ae isiguise oesso o Aciecue; MI / Kae ack ae oesso o Aciecue I Aoio e Sousa S I os ae oesso a MI og 1 ieco I BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Author: Scott Richard Lesher Degree: Master of Architecture Date: January 2008 Undergraduate and Graduate Education: • Master of Architecture, 2008 New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJSOA, Newark, NJ • Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1982 Major: Architecture To those in the GLBT community who made our neighborhoods, and to those who made them less necessary v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Dr. Zeynep Celik, Dr. Karen Franck and Professor Tony Santos for their help, support, encouragement and extreme patience. Special thanks are also due to Darius Sollohub, Anthony Schuman, Fred Little and Ellie Matzko for their help, support and patience above and beyond what was expected. Many people, friends and institutions in the GLTB and non-GLBT community also helped with the research and preparation of this thesis. These include, but are not limited to, the Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco History Center of the San Francisco Public Library, the GLBT Historical Society, the California Historical Society, and my friends and family who gave me moral support. To them I owe many thanks. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Objectives 1 1.2 Organization of the Thesis. 2 1.3 The Castro as a Case Study 3 1.3.1 Origins of the Term "Ghetto" 3 1.3.2 The Dangers and Evolution of Ghettos 4 1.3.3 The Castro as Gay Ghetto 6 1.3.4 Geographic Location and Type of Neighborhood 6 1.4 Research Methods. 9 1.4.1 Literature Review 9 1.4.2 Archival Research 9 1.4.3 The Survey 10 1.5 Terminology 12 1.5.1 Gay, Homosexual, Straight and Bisexual 13 1.5.2 Use of Terms 13 1.5.3 Queer Space and Gay Space 15 1.6 Significance of the Thesis 16 2 SPACE AND GAY SPACE 18 2.1 Space 18 2.1.1 Material and Social Aspects of Space 20 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page 1 Aiioa Asecs o Sace 1 13 Memoy a Sace 3 1 Aiioa Asecs o Sace 3 15 asomaio o Sace 3 Coegece i e Mea o e oecio Agoim 35 1 eiiios 35 3 Cocusio 3 E ISOICA CASO EGIIGS O E OUEAK O 5 AIS 31 easos o Gay Geos 5 3 Gay as e uiig ocks o Gay Cuue 46 31 ocaio o Gay as 7 3 Oe Asecs o Gay as 51 33 e asiio om as o eigooos 5 331 e Caso ecomes ecogie as a Gay eigooo 5 3 ouaies 5 31 Oe ames o e Caso 60 3 Iasio a isaceme 1 35 oiics a Ecoomics 5 351 Iegaio isesa a Imoace o Sace 66 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page 3 e Caso as Gay Sace 68 37 Oe Aeas aaeig e Caso 9 3 e E o Oe Ea a e egiig o Aoe 7 E COEMOAY CASO E AE O AIS O E 71 ESE 1 AIS a Sa acisco 71 11 AIS a G isoy 7 1 AIS a e Caso 7 Ecoomics 82 1 Cai Soes a oca Mecas 3 ouism 9 3 Makeig Oe Gay eigooos 9 3 as a e Caso 93 ouaies 97 1 isuay Makig e ouaies 9 ouaies as eacos 13 3 Suey esoes eceios o e Casos ouaies 1 Ecoomics ouism a ouaies 19 5 emeaiiy a Muaiiy o ouaies 11 ix TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page 5 IS THE CASTRO STILL A GAY NEIGHBORHOOD 116 5.1 Is the Castro Still a Gay Neighborhood? 116 5.2 Boundaries 117 5.2.1 Neighborhood 118 5.3 The Changing Castro 119 5.3.1 Survey Respondents' Perception of Change 120 5.4 The "Unreal" Castro 125 5.5 Preserving the Castro 126 5.5.1 The Castro as Gay Neighborhood and Gay Symbol 126 5.5.2 Importance of Castro to Other Communities 128 5.5.3 Is the Castro Still Gay and Important to the Gay Community 129 5.6 In Closing.... 130 APPENDIX A THE SURVEY 131 APPENDIX B MAPS 136 REFERENCES 161 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Rainbow motif on Bethany United Methodist Church sign 78 2 Rainbow motif in the Bethany Church construction area 79 3 Cliff's Variety store on Castro Street 84 4 Window display in Cliff's Variety Store 85 5 Rainbow flag iconography incorporated in Ben and Jerry's sign on Castro 87 Street 6 Rainbow flag incorporated in store sign on Castro Street 88 7 Billboard in the Castro Street MUNI station 97 8 Example of an individual visually marking their window on Market Street.... 99 9 Rainbow painted stairs on Castro Street 100 10 View south on Castro Street 101 11 All American Boy store with flags 102 12 The plaque at Harvey Milk Plaza/MUNI station 104 13 The large rainbow flag over the Harvey Milk Memorial Plaza/Muni Station 105 14 Looking north up Castro Street 106 15 The large rainbow flag flying over the Harvey Milk Memorial Plaza at night 107 16 Neon signs surrounding Twin Peaks bar at the intersection of Castro and 107 17th Streets at night 17 Prominent billboard on Market Street near Castro Street 110 18 Mass transit tourist information board with featuring the Castro 111 19 Detail of Figure 18 highlighting the Castro's section 111 xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Objectives In popular thought architecture is often associated with actual buildings or recognizable styles. It is not always understood that architecture also includes the creating, defining, redefining, and use of space. An understanding of these non-brick-and-mortar aspects includes how the use and meaning of space changes over time.