In 1962, the Tavern Guild of San Francisco formed out of a coalition of Polk Street gay bars to become the nation's first gay business association. While it originally functioned as a social group, it became an educational and supportive establishment, working to protect bartenders, owners, and patrons from discrimination and other problems affecting the gay community. In the early to mid 20th century, SF gay bars were subject to harassment from local authorities including the police and California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). Gay bars were seen as places that encouraged inappropriate behavior - as such, through both legislature and presumptuous patrolling authorities sought to limit their existence. Often, raids were conducted and bars lost their liquor license or were shut down. Ironically, this policing worked to excite and organize a response from the homosexual community.

 

The guild worked to unite local businesses against these oppressive forces.  By creating a protective community of these bars, "businesses [had] a greater chance for survival, and the hazards of operation [were] minimized," as explained by Phil Doganiero, local bartender turned president-elect of the organization (Plaster). The Tavern Guild's power lay in both its numbers and organizational resources. They created a phone networking system to track police and ABC movement. They raised money at social events including auctions and dances, and helped support bartenders who lost their jobs because of raids. They also circulated names of patrons who wrote fake checks and pictures of undercover officers. Eventually, the group evolved into a political tool. Recognizing their growing influence, politicians met with the guild and attempted to use gay bars as arenas to promote their agenda. The guild members repatriated supportive politicians with funds and votes. They also began funding legal challenges to anti-gay statutes. By 1980, 86 businesses claimed to be members (Epstein, 2014). The guild became a model for later LGBT organizations nation wide. However, as a result of the AIDS epidemic, gentrification, and geographic shifts, the original group’s membership faded and eventually disbanded in 1995.

 

Today, gay business associations have spread from San Diego to Denver to London. In local cities, these groups serve a similar purpose of the Tavern Guild in that they are united to protect and serve the interests of gay businesses. Because of the Tavern Guild’s pioneering efforts, today, homosexual businesses have a voice for equality.  

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[read more about the history of the Tavern Guild on OutHistory]