San Francisco eyes cultural status for leather, gay district
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Decades ago, San Francisco's gay and leather culture sought shelter in the city's seedy South of Market district — forced there by brutal police crackdowns on gays.
Over time, the area became a vibrant place teeming with bathhouses and bars that added to San Francisco's reputation as a colorful, free-wheeling refuge open to different sexual lifestyles.
These days, gentrification and skyrocketing rents are threatening to drive the gay and leather crowd out of a neighborhood that's now home to Airbnb, Twitter and high-end condos.