January 21, 2004

Dear Friends,

You have probably come to this website because you are either curious about or share our interest in the preservation of San Francisco’s cultural resources. Since the success of saving the Fallon Building, the Friends of 1800 has taken on several projects, as you can see reflected on this website. We are now asking for your support with our current project: advocating for a Cultural Resource Survey of the city that will explicitly recognize of the contributions of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered peoples to the history and culture of San Francisco.

The Friends of 1800 is leading the effort towards this comprehensive and inclusive Cultural Resource Survey in two ways. First, we are engaged in lobbying the City to conduct the Survey, by promoting the idea with neighborhood groups and city officials like the Board of Supervisors.

Secondly, to initiate a survey of sites important to LGBT history, the Friends have commissioned a Context Statement regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in San Francisco.

A Context Statement is "an organizing structure for interpreting history that groups information about historic resources that share a common theme, geographical area and time period" and is the first step in doing a survey.

This LGBT History Context Statement, when completed, will provide a philosophic and documentary basis for preserving historic sites of significance to LGBT history. Additionally, if adopted by the City, it will represent significant and official recognition by the City of the important part LGBT culture has played in the culture and history of the City, and recognition of the central role San Francisco has played in LGBT history and the history of gender identity. For these reasons we feel strongly that the LGBT History Context Statement project is an important first step in the recognition of this important aspect of the city’s history.

→ Download or view the report (Acrobat PDF)

We encourage you to comment on the report and ask that you forward comments to the Friends via e-mail.

Sincerely,

Alan Martinez, Co-Chair
Mark Paez, Co-Chair