San Francisco has served as a sanctuary for the gay community in the past and present. In this photo essay, “Then and Now,” I aimed to contrast that past with the modern day.
The black-and-white photographs showcase structures or ideas significant to this history, rooted in yesterday, while the color of the contemporary images serves to differentiate where we were with where we are. While discrimination based on sexual orientation is still a reality for much of the world, including parts of our country, and transgender rights are still decades behind the rest of our populace, the social strides made because of brave members of the LGBTQIA community should not be discounted.
All photos by Ian York (San Francisco Framed).
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