San Francisco Social Movement Analysis

Sex and Social Movements in San Francisco Social deviance and San Francisco go together like peanut butter and jelly. From the California Gold Rush to current social justice movements, the city has offered a place to foster new ideas and shelter outcasts. In a time where men dominated the public sphere, madams of the Barbary Coast were still able to have financial agency. Later down the line in the 1960’s, San Francisco provided a platform to reanalyze conventional norms in an era of political unrest. Even now with the current administration, the city still serves as a sanctuary for political thought as exampled by LGBTQ activism and other social movements. I believe the large scale formation of progressive policies across the nation has been
This migration disrupted the necessity of the nuclear family. According to D’Emilio, this shift allowed for the formation of the homosexual identity since the family unit was unnecessary. In other words, without a reliance on procreation for survival it was possible to cultivate homosexual conduct into an identity. However, in an effort to preserve heteronormative ideals of a relationship, traditionalists fought to set laws that prevented an easy transition. As a result, it was predominantly white males who had the means to turn homoerotic desires into something more than just an act. Despite this disparity, San Francisco still held opportunities for success. During the 1960’s, the city housed the counterculture movement. Cooperative kids and the like rejected conventional social norms in an effort to push all preconceived boundaries. Sylvester is a great example of this manifestation of rebellion. Along with the Cockettes, he used performance art to push the confines of gender and sexuality during an era of immense political contention. With his drive for success, Sylvester went on to become a superstar. Decades later, this iconic figure still surfaces in club soundtracks, television series, BAMFA exhibits and even Rupaul’s Drag Race lip sync battles. His mainstream success led to a greater awareness of sexual diversity in other urban hubs. That is to say, tolerance in San Francisco’s pop culture diffused into places where social movements could not be safely started. In turn, this furthered normalization efforts and future calls to equality like the 1980’s gay rights coalition. Ultimately, San Francisco promoted global change by becoming an epicenter of experimentation, grass roots movements, and