California Story Fund
Polk Gulch Oral History Project
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco
Project Director: Joseph Plaster
Chronicling the history of San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood
This oral history project seeks to use oral histories to bridge barriers and facilitate dialogue among the diverse residence of San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood.
Once a thriving business center for San Francisco’s gay male community and since the late 1970s a destination for some of the most underrepresented segments of the LGBT community, especially homeless youth, Polk Gulch is undergoing changes. Gay and transgendered bars are closing, rising rents are pushing out long-term tenants, and middle-income heterosexual-oriented small businesses, clubs and residents are moving in. Tension, bitterness and misunderstandings now characterize the community
This oral history project, sponsored by the GLBT Historical Society, will conduct audio interviews of the stakeholders from the various competing groups. The idea is to dramatize the neighborhood’s history and the complex social and economic forces at play in the area.
“By conducting interviews and closely examining the area’s history, we can gain a better, more accurate picture of why Polk Gulch is changing and how those changes are affecting denizens, residents and business owners,” said Joseph Plaster, the project director.
The project will culminate with an exhibit of high-quality “audio portraits” at the GLBT Historical Society and at a Polk Gulch location. The project will also host several roundtable discussions for the community.