On May 24th, architectural historian and preservation activist Shayne Watson will lead a walking tour through the TL focused on LGBTQ-sites and the discussion of how best to honor a crucial, intangible legacy in physical (but often altered) locations. This special walking tour is a rare opportunity to explore one of the earliest and most historic LGBTQ enclaves in San Francisco with an expert in the field.
Shayne Watson is an authority on the LGBTQ geography of SF--an activist and historian whose pioneering work expands the language of preservationists to recognize LGBTQ sites as well as streamlines the process to landmark historic buildings. Watson’s walking tour will begin with a short presentation at the Tenderloin Museum, then will visit such iconic locales as the site of Compton’s Cafeteria, the city’s first leather bar, as well as Glide Memorial Church, for which Watson is penning the nomination to the National Registry of Historic Places.
In 2013, she was awarded a grant to co-author the Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ history in San Francisco with public historian Donna Graves. This extensive and deeply researched survey of queer communities throughout SF’s history is meant to serve as a planning document for the city’s future, as well as provide a framework for the preservation-worthy significance of cultural sites. Watson is one of the most forward-thinking voices in the field of historic preservation, and her walking tour is not to be missed: a masterclass in not only TL queer history but also best practices for cultural preservation.