Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman are expected to introduce legislation this Tuesday to allow for 2280 Market Street in the historically LGBTQ Castro district to become a full-scale museum, archives and research center, Breed and Mandelman said in a joint statement. The collection has been in temporary locations for decades, both officials said.
In 2021, the mayor dedicated $12.5 million to acquire a site for a future LGBTQ History Museum. In 2022, through the work of Senator Scott Wiener, the State of California allocated an additional $5.5 million to the project.
The project is the result of years of collaboration between Breed's office, Mandelman's office, the city's Real Estate Division, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and local nonprofit partners including the GLBT Historical Society
Breed said: "The Castro is the heart of LGBTQ culture in this City and this country, and it is the perfect place for a museum that will preserve and celebrate LGBTQ history, culture, and arts for generations to come.”
Breed also acknowledged the contributions of Mandelman, Wiener, the GLBT Historical Society, the Community Arts Stabilization Trust, and LGBTQ leaders who advocated for the center for decades.
Referring to the museum's prospective location, Mandelman said: "The future of America's best gayborhood is getting brighter all the time.”
