An exhibit
sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender
Historical Society is in the planning stages and will likely
be set up in the Castro district of San Francisco by
late summer, according to a press release from the
society.
The space that
will house the exhibit is located at the corner of 18th
and Castro and has been leased to the historical society by
Washington Mutual from now until October 2009. Local
government funding for the society was cut during a
budget crisis earlier this year, so the society still
needs approximately $160,000 to launch the exhibit. Plans
are under way for a fund-raising campaign.
The exhibit is
expected to attract much attention due to the growing
focus on the LGBT population of California. As couples
and families travel to the state to marry this year,
the exhibit will likely become a popular tourist
attraction. The exhibit will feature photographs,
objects, and documents chronicling the evolution of gay San
Francisco and the emergence of the Castro as the
nation's gay mecca.
Paul Boneberg,
executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, said,
"It will be a challenge for our small organization to make
this happen, but this year is the perfect time to
launch a home for our history in the Castro." (The
Advocate)