Out and Proud
Twin Peaks Tavern on Castro Street, San Francisco is one of the most famous LGBT+ landmarks in San Francisco. Among the many symbols of queer culture in San Francisco, this one stands out. In the midst of the discrimination and violence that permeates most of the history of the queer community, Twin Peaks Tavern is as a symbol of openness and acceptance — a light in the darkness.
Twin Peaks become iconic quite by accident. In 1971, the new lesbian owners, Mary Ellen Cunha and Peggy Forster, uncovered the windows simply so they could look out to the street. They never intended to make a political statement but that simple act bore more significance than the girls could ever imagine.
Twin Peaks became famous as one of the first gay bars in the USA to have clear windows. Back then, many gay bars covered their windows so the patrons could hide away from the public, fearing discrimination. The clear windows of Twin Peaks allowed members of the LGBT+ community to be out and proud without any shame. A simple physical act led to a cultural change, helping San Francisco become a haven for queer culture. Consequently, Twin Peaks soon became a center of the LGBT+ community and remains one to this day.
Through the years, the bar has remained mostly the same, even while the rest of San Francisco changed and adapted to a vibrant hipster culture. Most of the bar’s patrons are older members of the community, raising concerns as to whether the bar and its history has become irrelevant in current LGBT+ culture, where there is far less pressure to hide. However, many find the older crowd comforting in a community that often places too much emphasis on youth and beauty.
And so, Twin Peaks persists.
