In 1972, Harvey Milk opened Castro Camera at 575 Castro Street.
The shop and the apartment above it became the headquarters for his campaign to run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
His 1977 win made him one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States and the first openly gay person elected to public office in California.
Less than a year later, he was assassinated at City Hall alongside Mayor George Moscone by former supervisor Dan White.
Although Harvey Milk is no longer with us, his legacy can still be experienced at Queer Arts Featured. Where a sidewalk plaque, a mural, and the people who’ve created this space and those who visit it continue to honor him.
What is Queer Arts Featured?
Today the storefront houses Queer Arts Featured, also known as Queer AF. It is part gallery, part boutique, and part community gathering space focused on underrepresented, disenfranchised, and emerging local queer artists and makers.
Artist and photographer Devlin Shand founded the space with co-founders Erika Pappas and Fadi Salah.
Shand's own photography show was canceled when COVID arrived, so he set out to build a place where marginalized artists wouldn't have to wait for someone else's permission. The founders ended up leasing Milk's old camera shop.
While Queer Arts Featured could easily have become a memorial or museum, it instead honors the memory and work of activist and politician Harvey Milk by being a living, breathing space directly involved in the community.
It is an open, accepting space for the LGBTQ+ community, but now more than ever for vulnerable communities like immigrants, Palestinians, and trans youth.
As Harvey Milk said, “You gotta give ‘em hope!” and that’s what Queer AF does as a creative third space.
Here, visitors find an eclectic mix of art, photography, clothing, relics, and handmade decor, with some pieces for sale and others part of a permanent collection.
A beloved object on display is a pair of ruby slippers Shand made for the grand opening, which coincided with Judy Garland’s 100th birthday, when he performed her rendition of “San Francisco” in drag.
The space also remembers the White Night Riots, one of the most violent uprisings in LGBTQ history.
These erupted in May 1979 after White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a lesser sentence, rather than murder. His lawyers argued that he had diminished capacity because of his depression and cited his junk-food binges as a symptom of it, which became known as the “Twinkie Defense.”
Harvey Milk as an Artist
As you enter, you'll see some of his original photography on a wall of Queer AF (three explicit black-and-white photographs).
His photographs reflect the open, unapologetic queerness he championed.
“We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets” ― Harvey Milk
Queer AF continues to champion that with queer photography and artwork.
Queer AF as a Community Event Space
Queer AF mounts a new exhibition roughly every other month.
Each one opens on a First Friday with live entertainment and a chance to meet the artists.
Since 2022, it has hosted around 20 shows featuring more than 70 artists, including Milk.
One standout was a Castro Camera show that brought together photographers and subjects who knew Milk or lived in the Castro during the 1970s.
It gave younger queer visitors the chance to hear that era's stories firsthand, uniting the intergenerational people of the Castro, past, present, and future.
It also stays engaged with local politics, much as Milk did from behind the same counter.
“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” ― Harvey Milk
Know Before You Go
Queer AF is at 575 Castro Street, between 18th and 19th Streets.
You can either visit the boutique to shop, browse, admire the artwork, or attend an event.
Events are offered on a sliding scale, so no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Regular programming includes:
Gallery openings (First Fridays, every other month): new shows open during the neighborhood's First Friday Art Walk, when 15 to 20 Castro businesses host art shows and performances.
Vocal A.F. (second Friday of the month, 7:30–9:30 p.m.): a community open mic.
Clothing Swap (second Wednesday of the month): a gender-affirming space where visitors can take what fits and leave what doesn't for others. It also offers essential resources.
S.O.S. (Share Our Skills) (Mondays): Hosted by San Francisco's legendary Dragon King, this is a drop-in gathering with arts-and-crafts, a monthly book club, and a quiet corner for anyone who wants to work independently.
Queer Bedtime Stories (periodic): a reading series that started on Zoom in 2020 and now meets in person around the Bay Area, with readings on queerness, intersectionality, and community. RSVP through @queerbedtimestories on Instagram.
Queer AF also takes part in the Castro Street Fair, which Milk founded in 1974 and is held each October. It celebrates the Castro neighborhood with live music, DJs, and performers.
Check Queer AF’s events calendar for the latest information.
This article was written in partnership with Jose M. Martinez, a long-time friend of mine, who’s also a member of San Francisco’s queer community.
