Balboa Park and the LGBT community

Yes, 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of San Diego’s renowned Balboa Park and there are continuing events celebrating this historic landmark as there should be. Balboa Park has played a great part in the history of San Diego’s LGBT community. From social, political, HIV-AIDS demonstrations and Pride, etc. In fact, this year marks the 40th anniversary of our first Pride event, a “gay pride march”. I had the honor of speaking at our first Pride rally 40 years ago in Balboa Park along with George Raya, then “Dean” the Rev. David Farrell and others. I was dressed as the then reigning “Empress IV de San Diego”.

In truth and reality, Balboa Park for decades served as a “meeting” (cruising) place for gay men. In bushes, trail ways, park benches, and yes, bathrooms. Before any of you get judgmental, here is another important reality check, California did not legalize “homosexual acts” until 1976. Yes, we LGBT people were considered “deviants” and “perverts” and just by a signature of your parent’s doctor or judge any homosexual could and was committed to a state mental hospital where you were subject to electric shock treatment and sometimes even a lobotomy; I had friends that were subjected to this in the 1960s and 1970s. Almost everyone was in the deep “closet” and you were very brave to go and be seen at a homosexual bar or hangout (gay people could not own a bar or be issued a liquor license).

Yes, LGBT people were afraid of being “discovered” or “outed.” The then mayor of San Diego even stated that there were “really no homosexual constituents in San Diego.”

This was the environment and society for homosexuals in the 1950s, (McCarthy era of “pinko communist” witch hunts) 1960s and 1970s. Yes I loved during these times.

So yes, many homosexual men cruised parks and bushes etc. Balboa Park was a hot spot of action, even a “queen’s circle”. So was the situation in almost every city and town within the United States. Hey, would the Christians have been persecuted and hunted down had they not met and hid in caves. We homosexuals gathered in parks! There were many police “raids” and arrests in Balboa Park (many entrapments) and even a certain big named closeted gay owner of the Union-Tribune had a police incident happen in Balboa Park along with other prominent San Diegans.

Society pushed the “homosexual deviants” to the parks and yes “restrooms” and “truck stops” to meet. And so it was in San Diego at Balboa Park. People will do almost anything to be able to meet one of their own kind.

Balboa Park was also the place for huge LGBT picnics, festivals, HIV-AIDS demonstrations, rallies, concerts, gala dog shows and the first LGBT Latino Pride Festival; so many things.

Balboa Park has played and will continue to play an important role in our LGBT history.

Happy 100th birthday girlfriend!