Harvey, the merchants, and the theater

by Terrance Alan

Bay area reporter

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The Castro Merchants Association was founded by Castro Camera business owner Harvey Milk in 1974 in response to the anti-gay Eureka Valley Merchants Association, the long-standing business group that had shunned gay members and actively worked to prevent new gay businesses from opening in the neighborhood. Then known as the Castro Village Association, the founding members met in the back room of the gay-friendly Sausage Factory and elected Milk as their first president.

Along with a young heterosexual woman photographer and co-owner of Cliff’s Variety, who dropped out of the straight association to join the new gay-aligned business group, Milk canvassed the neighborhood to sign up gay- and ally-owned businesses. Soon, the membership topped over 90 businesses, and the Eureka Valley Merchants Association dissolved, many of their members having sold their businesses to new gay owners.

Breathing renewed life and vigor into the gayborhood, the new group under Milk founded the Castro Street Fair that year, and also served as the basis for Milk’s nascent political career. Within a few short years, he partnered with unions on the Coors beer boycott to fight antigay discrimination and anti-labor practices, founded the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club, and helped defeat a statewide initiative that would have banned LGBTQ teachers and workers in schools.

And after four campaigns for public office that centered around his gay identity, Milk was finally elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, one of the first openly LGBTQ elected officials in the world.

What a whirlwind! And to think what he could have done if not assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone just one year after his election.

In 2023, as the gay president of the group Milk founded almost a half-century ago, I reflect on our history with pride and a profound sense of duty. We’ve been through many changes in the last 49 years. We endured Harvey’s tragic loss and the aftermath. We’ve endured AIDS and COVID. Politicians have come and gone, businesses have opened and closed, and yes, we endure, and our spirit remains strong.

These are hard times for many. In the wake of COVID, our membership has been hurting. Like other neighborhoods, virtually all our storefronts were boarded up not long ago, and too many closed permanently. As a result, our storefront vacancy rate is among the highest in the city. The reopened businesses continue to struggle, and some continue to close. Some days, it seems like a losing battle. But we are not giving up. We will never give up.

Over the last year, the Castro Merchants board has taken a strong leadership role in an effort to improve conditions in our neighborhood. We’ve advocated strongly for increased city services for our homeless population and increased police support for our merchants, and we’ve begun to see some improvements. We’ve sponsored dozens of events to attract shoppers back to the neighborhood, including monthly queer-positive Castro Art Marts, Art Walks, quarterly family holiday events, and the farmers market. We maintain