Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads.
Historically San Francisco was a re-entry port for the Navy. Many men who were discharged for being gay were dropped off in San Fran - and just stayed. In reality though, San Fran isn't THAT much more gay than other cities in the country. I think a lot of people have this view before they go there that it's literally a city of gay people. While there are a lot of gay people, they certainly don't comprise anywhere near the majority of the city. I know a lot of friends who live there, and none of them are gay, and it never even really enters the conversation or any of their comments.
It's (obviously), always been a very tolerable city, and welcoming to gay people, as well as other alternative lifestyles (whatever that means). I think this just reaffirms people's views as San Fran as a gay city, full of nancy-boy tree hugging hippies and not a lot of macho impressions.
I've also noticed it's not a very religious city, which means the "gayness" historically could be much more out in the open without hard core religious crackdowns and protest. Must of the west coast is like this.
Lastly, I think that whatever reasons made the city a "gay" place to be in the 60's and 70's just led to more and more gay people moving there during that time. It fed on itself. There was so much more prejudice and hatred towards gays during that time, so if you were gay, why wouldn't you want to pick up and move to San Fran? Try and live your life a little more openly, and with less stress. It was somewhat of a haven for gays to live their life a little more normal. I think it's becoming less and less of a gay city these days though, as more areas of the country are open and welcoming towards gay people in general.
That said, San Fran is hands down one of the most awesome, beautiful and fun places in the country. If I left Chicago, it would be my #1 choice.
I visited a couple months ago. It's a very unique city, I liked it. Sorry I don't like being around gay people though, especially after one hit on me in Fisherman's wharf.
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Why is San Francisco gay?
Linear Mode
