There was a time when the Bay Area was home to highly visible queer communities full of LGBTQ-friendly businesses. And while there are still plenty of rainbow flags in the Castro, if you look past the obvious symbols, the character of these neighborhoods has changed dramatically as many of those businesses shutter their doors and many long-time residents find themselves pushed out by the high cost of living.
So on this edition of KCBS In Depth we speak with the people at ground zero of this change to find out what it is they feel they are loosing and what they are still fighting to preserve.
Guests:
- Terry Beswick, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society
- Juanita MORE!, political activist, drag performer, creator of Juanita's List
- Brian Basinger, executive director of the Q Foundation
Hosts: Keith Menconi, Mary Hughes
Resources:
Here are some of the queer-friendly housing resources mentioned in this episode.
- Juanita's List, a Facebook group connecting members of the LGBTQ community to queer-friendly housing in the Bay Area
- Gay Area Queer Housing S.F. Bay Area, another Facebook group carrying out similar work
- Q Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit providing support and advocacy for those facing homelessness with a special focus on members of the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV/AIDS; among its services, the group provides assistance to those seeking public housing support in San Francisco.
- Dahlia, San Francisco's public housing portal
- The Bill Wilson Center, a Santa Clara-based service organization for at-risk or homeless youth and families. Their LGBTQ-specific housing programs include BWC Connections, LGBTQ Host Homes and their LGBTQ Transitional Living Program.
- LifeMoves, a housing and service organization operating on the Peninsula and within Silicon Valley; the group just opened a new homeless shelter for LGBTQ adults in downtown San Jose.
Special thanks to Housing Trust Silicon Valley for helping to connect us with some of the organization's mentioned in this episode.