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Halloween in the Castro
Nov. 1st, 2006 07:13 pmI’ve been at work since 7 AM and haven’t read any LJ so I hope I’m not repeating too many other folks here by talking about the Castro Halloween.
First off, I should note that I live very close to the Castro, about 5 blocks from the spot where 9 people got shot last night. Not close enough that my apartment is in the middle of the party, but close enough that my usually quiet street becomes a slow line of honking cars looking for parking for a solid 6 hours. We get plenty of overflow, drunk screams and "whoo-hoos!" until nearly dawn. I generally don’t go out after dark on Halloween because it makes me hate.
It wasn’t always like this. In high school I was one of the people everyone complains about. Some years I crossed a bridge in order to attend. Very rarely have I ever not half-assed a costume, and certainly back then I did. I was definitely drunk if not obnoxious. Because of all this, I’ve always been reticent to completely dismiss the event because I always felt that those events were important to my social education.
I mean, it was a big party for everyone thrown by the homos! I like parties and I liked them even more back then. I am here to testify that even though I was probably a visibly obnoxious asshole back then, the party was so awesome that it sowed the seeds for me to help fight my own societal homophobia. While I probably would have mocked anyone I knew that worked all year on their costumes, the effort so many folks put into their costumes was amazing and inspiring. It did give me pause, even if mostly me and my friends would gossip about which teachers we saw there the next day.
But by the time I moved here in 1989, people were already saying the good times had ended. Still, I had my best Halloween party ever a year or two later when Larry Lea brought an army of Christian prayer warriors to SF to exorcise the evils of homosexuality and communism. We missed the protest, but it joined the Castro street party around the time we did (I think we had the group costume of St. Patrick’s Day that year but I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong). Taking over streets and partying when you have political reasons on your side is an unbeatable combination. It really feels like liberation even if the next day reality is back. It’s a temporary autonomous zone in the sense that I like to think of that concept. It’s a moment in time that can make you think anything is possible.
Even though I haven’t entered the main part of the party in over a decade, I’ve never really been against it. Until very recently, I would tell folks new to town that they should at least go once despite how huge it’s gotten and despite the barely costumed frat boys and the sexy noun* girls who scream when they are not in danger. While again, I am not exactly in the heart of it, I do think that part of the price of living in SF is taking street festivals, protests, and ski slopes in stride.
It was during the reign of Mayor Feinstein** tourism was promoted as San Francisco’s main industry and, despite occasional lip service, this was done at the expense of other jobs. Partly it was seeing the de-industrialization of the USA writing on the wall, but it was also a designed attempt to "Manhattanize" San Francisco and drive the poor people and their dirty jobs to the other Bay Area counties. I mean except for the waiters, au pairs, and latte-foamers of course. But hey, if they wanted to commute, that’s be ok too.
But what this means is that San Francisco needs to keep a certain reputation. In some ways, (well I can’t think of any others so maybe I should say "in this way") San Francisco is similar to pre-Katrina New Orleans. It needs events to help drive the tourist economy. And because San Francisco is San Francisco, much of the tourist dollar is queer. Gay Pride? Huge moneymaker. Folsom Street? Almost as big an effect on the economy.
The Halloween party is an uncomfortable mix. It really did start as a neighborhood street party. Of course because of AIDS and the lack of treatment options in the ‘80s, many of those original folks are long dead. One can’t really talk about the history of the Castro without mentioning the effect that might have had on the continuity or focus on the event. Whatever might have been, I’m sure the event is bigger than any of the original partiers would have imagined.
One of the reasons that so many people have wanted to move to the Castro in the last 30 years was because it was the center of the (white) (male) gay universe and that included crazy ass street parties. Halloween is a victim of its own success in two ways: 1, is that it was such a fun party that everyone wanted to come. 2. It helped solidify the Castro as a neighborhood to move to. As is often the case, as people began owning their houses, and then newer residents began paying even more obscene amounts on their negatively amortizing home loans, concern for property values has risen as well.
Usually that would be enough to have me say throw the party there every year. I mean, I have a special amount of hate for those SOMA loft-buyers who moved into that neighborhood and started trying to close established clubs the next day. Unfortunately for my righteousness, while SOMA has always been semi-industrial and people who move there should shut up and deal with it, The Castro really is a residential neighborhood. Having 300,000 people, come to a neighborhood and party like New Years Eve amateurs really kind of sucks. It’s honestly the night I feel least safe in SF. Living on Mission and 20th in 1991 felt a lot safer than walking down my usually quiet post-gentrified street on Halloween at 10 PM.
And while police are now saying that the shootings last night were, ahem, gang-related, my fear is much more the fear I had walking by frat houses when I was in college. The fear of drunk jock dudes, date rapists, and folks who like to beat up "freaks" to impress their friends. It’s incredibly weird to get that vibe a few blocks from most well-known neighborhood in gay America.
Even back in the ‘90s (and probably before) people came to queer bash. One party dude told me to "put a muzzle on my bitch" because she told him his Gulf War 1 army outfit was scary. CUAV, who used to handle security dealt with that incident, but things are way past that scale now. I gotta say though, I really don’t imagine the event will be back next year though it’s hard to say. When the city tried to change the event to the Civic Center a few years back, no one listened and everyone still went to the Castro.
*sorry, can’t remember who I stole that from. Identify yourself! Aha! It was![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
substitute!
**I can’t say "Mayor Feinstein" without thinking of her as "Mayor Banker-Butt-Licker Margaret Thatcher Feinswine". Thanks Jello Biafra!
***I gotta say that Alix Rosenthal (candidate for supervisor in this district) has been pissing me off with all her shameless campaigning around this. I’ve been leaning towards voting for her because of her stance on tenant rights, but I just saw her talking about how the cops blew it by now being more active in seeking out troublemakers (not exact quote but close). That’s supposed to be the progressive voice? (god help me, I actually do feel sorry for the cops who have to deal with 300,000 drunks). Besides, we all know Bevan Dufty won the election (if it was actually in doubt which I don’t think it ever was) when Pete Wilson called his baby a "travesty".
First off, I should note that I live very close to the Castro, about 5 blocks from the spot where 9 people got shot last night. Not close enough that my apartment is in the middle of the party, but close enough that my usually quiet street becomes a slow line of honking cars looking for parking for a solid 6 hours. We get plenty of overflow, drunk screams and "whoo-hoos!" until nearly dawn. I generally don’t go out after dark on Halloween because it makes me hate.
It wasn’t always like this. In high school I was one of the people everyone complains about. Some years I crossed a bridge in order to attend. Very rarely have I ever not half-assed a costume, and certainly back then I did. I was definitely drunk if not obnoxious. Because of all this, I’ve always been reticent to completely dismiss the event because I always felt that those events were important to my social education.
I mean, it was a big party for everyone thrown by the homos! I like parties and I liked them even more back then. I am here to testify that even though I was probably a visibly obnoxious asshole back then, the party was so awesome that it sowed the seeds for me to help fight my own societal homophobia. While I probably would have mocked anyone I knew that worked all year on their costumes, the effort so many folks put into their costumes was amazing and inspiring. It did give me pause, even if mostly me and my friends would gossip about which teachers we saw there the next day.
But by the time I moved here in 1989, people were already saying the good times had ended. Still, I had my best Halloween party ever a year or two later when Larry Lea brought an army of Christian prayer warriors to SF to exorcise the evils of homosexuality and communism. We missed the protest, but it joined the Castro street party around the time we did (I think we had the group costume of St. Patrick’s Day that year but I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong). Taking over streets and partying when you have political reasons on your side is an unbeatable combination. It really feels like liberation even if the next day reality is back. It’s a temporary autonomous zone in the sense that I like to think of that concept. It’s a moment in time that can make you think anything is possible.
Even though I haven’t entered the main part of the party in over a decade, I’ve never really been against it. Until very recently, I would tell folks new to town that they should at least go once despite how huge it’s gotten and despite the barely costumed frat boys and the sexy noun* girls who scream when they are not in danger. While again, I am not exactly in the heart of it, I do think that part of the price of living in SF is taking street festivals, protests, and ski slopes in stride.
It was during the reign of Mayor Feinstein** tourism was promoted as San Francisco’s main industry and, despite occasional lip service, this was done at the expense of other jobs. Partly it was seeing the de-industrialization of the USA writing on the wall, but it was also a designed attempt to "Manhattanize" San Francisco and drive the poor people and their dirty jobs to the other Bay Area counties. I mean except for the waiters, au pairs, and latte-foamers of course. But hey, if they wanted to commute, that’s be ok too.
But what this means is that San Francisco needs to keep a certain reputation. In some ways, (well I can’t think of any others so maybe I should say "in this way") San Francisco is similar to pre-Katrina New Orleans. It needs events to help drive the tourist economy. And because San Francisco is San Francisco, much of the tourist dollar is queer. Gay Pride? Huge moneymaker. Folsom Street? Almost as big an effect on the economy.
The Halloween party is an uncomfortable mix. It really did start as a neighborhood street party. Of course because of AIDS and the lack of treatment options in the ‘80s, many of those original folks are long dead. One can’t really talk about the history of the Castro without mentioning the effect that might have had on the continuity or focus on the event. Whatever might have been, I’m sure the event is bigger than any of the original partiers would have imagined.
One of the reasons that so many people have wanted to move to the Castro in the last 30 years was because it was the center of the (white) (male) gay universe and that included crazy ass street parties. Halloween is a victim of its own success in two ways: 1, is that it was such a fun party that everyone wanted to come. 2. It helped solidify the Castro as a neighborhood to move to. As is often the case, as people began owning their houses, and then newer residents began paying even more obscene amounts on their negatively amortizing home loans, concern for property values has risen as well.
Usually that would be enough to have me say throw the party there every year. I mean, I have a special amount of hate for those SOMA loft-buyers who moved into that neighborhood and started trying to close established clubs the next day. Unfortunately for my righteousness, while SOMA has always been semi-industrial and people who move there should shut up and deal with it, The Castro really is a residential neighborhood. Having 300,000 people, come to a neighborhood and party like New Years Eve amateurs really kind of sucks. It’s honestly the night I feel least safe in SF. Living on Mission and 20th in 1991 felt a lot safer than walking down my usually quiet post-gentrified street on Halloween at 10 PM.
And while police are now saying that the shootings last night were, ahem, gang-related, my fear is much more the fear I had walking by frat houses when I was in college. The fear of drunk jock dudes, date rapists, and folks who like to beat up "freaks" to impress their friends. It’s incredibly weird to get that vibe a few blocks from most well-known neighborhood in gay America.
Even back in the ‘90s (and probably before) people came to queer bash. One party dude told me to "put a muzzle on my bitch" because she told him his Gulf War 1 army outfit was scary. CUAV, who used to handle security dealt with that incident, but things are way past that scale now. I gotta say though, I really don’t imagine the event will be back next year though it’s hard to say. When the city tried to change the event to the Civic Center a few years back, no one listened and everyone still went to the Castro.
*sorry, can’t remember who I stole that from. Identify yourself! Aha! It was
substitute!**I can’t say "Mayor Feinstein" without thinking of her as "Mayor Banker-Butt-Licker Margaret Thatcher Feinswine". Thanks Jello Biafra!
***I gotta say that Alix Rosenthal (candidate for supervisor in this district) has been pissing me off with all her shameless campaigning around this. I’ve been leaning towards voting for her because of her stance on tenant rights, but I just saw her talking about how the cops blew it by now being more active in seeking out troublemakers (not exact quote but close). That’s supposed to be the progressive voice? (god help me, I actually do feel sorry for the cops who have to deal with 300,000 drunks). Besides, we all know Bevan Dufty won the election (if it was actually in doubt which I don’t think it ever was) when Pete Wilson called his baby a "travesty".
