Special Issues :: 50th Anniversary

50 years in 50 weeks: 1982 Pride parade death

50 years in 50 weeks: 1982 Pride parade death

  • by BAR staff
  • Jun 23, 2021

The 1982 San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day parade took a tragic turn when 19-year-old Darryl Anderson was killed when he fell under the wheels of a float.

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1981: Cinema, Skinema

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1981: Cinema, Skinema

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Jun 17, 2021

As Frameline celebrates its 45th anniversary, let's look back at coverage of their fifth anniversary in late June 1981, and the adult film advertised on the next page.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1981's AIDS editorial

50 years in 50 weeks: 1981's AIDS editorial

  • by BAR staff
  • Jun 16, 2021

The Bay Area Reporter first mentioned what became HIV/AIDS about a month after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's notice on June 5, 1981.

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1980, 10th anniversary stage salute

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1980, 10th anniversary stage salute

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Jun 10, 2021

The April 10 tenth anniversary issue, at a whopping 68 pages, featured a disco dance event on the cover, and looked back on the 'Bay Area Reporter's first decade. Included was an expansive series of articles on gay theater companies.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1980's 'Cruising' film

50 years in 50 weeks: 1980's 'Cruising' film

  • by BAR staff
  • Jun 9, 2021

The 1980 film "Cruising," starring Al Pacino, was the topic of a front-page story in our January 31, 1980 issue.

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1979, Divinely Granted

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1979, Divinely Granted

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Jun 3, 2021

While News stories covered the May 21 White Night Riots, in lighter fare, drag theatre in 1979's Arts section included an interview, ads and a review of Divine's show, 'The Neon Woman,' while porn stars served as a lure to a members-only health club.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1979, White Night riots

50 years in 50 weeks: 1979, White Night riots

  • by BAR staff
  • Jun 2, 2021

The Bay Area Reporter's May 24, 1979 issue reported on the riots that took place May 21, after Dan White was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, rather than murder, in the November 27, 1978 assassination of gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk.

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1978, Glad to be Gay

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1978, Glad to be Gay

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 27, 2021

While the Tom Robinson Band, then known for the inspiring folk-derived anthem, "Glad to be Gay," had a performance at the Old Waldorf (444 Battery St.), the venue's promoters used the ad to politicize their pro-gay presence.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1977 Milk win

50 years in 50 weeks: 1977 Milk win

  • by BAR staff
  • May 19, 2021

This week's historical look at previous issues of the Bay Area Reporter goes to Harvey Milk's historic San Francisco supervisor win in 1977.

50 years in 50 Weeks 1977; Drawn to It

50 years in 50 Weeks 1977; Drawn to It

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 19, 2021

The B.A.R.'s June 23, 1977 illustrated cover, an ad for The Balcony bar, took a macho cartoonish focus with art by Chuck Arnett, who was known more famously for his mural on the wall of the Tool Box bar.

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1976 — "Oh, Rocky!"

50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1976 — "Oh, Rocky!"

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 12, 2021

The 'advertorial' cover of the March 18, 1976 Bay Area Reporter did not include news of our nation's Bicentennial celebrations, but instead the hit production of 'The Rocky Horror Show' and inside a 2-page interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1976, Milton Marks

50 years in 50 weeks: 1976, Milton Marks

  • by BAR staff
  • May 12, 2021

This week's installment of our 50 years in 50 weeks feature recognizes the late state Senator Milton Marks, whom the B.A.R. long supported.

50 years in 50 weeks: 1975, Castro Street Fair

50 years in 50 weeks: 1975, Castro Street Fair

  • May 5, 2021

For this week's 50 years in 50 weeks feature, we turn to the August 7, 1975 issue that promoted the second annual Castro Street Fair.

50 Years in 50 Weeks; 1975 - Empress and an elephant

50 Years in 50 Weeks; 1975 - Empress and an elephant

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 4, 2021

1975 was a great year for B.A.R. covers, but the most legendary image of the year is assuredly that of Empress Doris riding an elephant down Polk Street for the annual Gay Freedom Day Parade. How did it happen? And why?