Special Issues
The bars that brought us the B.A.R. - from the Tavern Guild to the Bay Area Reporter
The Bay Area Reporter first published on April 1, 1971, two years after the New York Stonewall Riots. But the paper's emergence grew not out of activism, but from San Francisco's growing gay bar scene.
The B.A.R.'s wayback machine travels to 1973 for a look at the candidates for emperor and empress.
The Bay Area Reporter's 50 years in 50 weeks feature continues with this front page from September 20, 1972
The Covered Wagon bar hosted the 1972 Mr. Cowboy contest, but things didn't go well, as reported in the B.A.R.'s May 17 issue. Many in attendance were "stirred into a frenzy of accusations, charges and counter-charges of fraud, fake fix and cheat."
In honor of the Bay Area Reporter's 50th anniversary, we're culling from our archive to feature a different year of the paper each week.
As we continue to celebrate the Bay Area Reporter's 50th anniversary, each week we'll take a nostalgic look at a highlight from each year's issues. In May 1, 1971 , a plumaged party seemed like a lot of fun.
As the 1990s approached, films began to offer more positive portrayals of LGBTQ people, often as the loyal best friend, with characters beginning to be more fleshed out, having lives rooted in their sexuality but not necessarily ruled only by it.
It is hard to narrow the discourse to just a handful of TV shows over so many years and hundreds of columns, but here are some of the LGBTQ stories that spurred controversy or altered the landscape.
Some of the Bay Area Reporter's production designers were, and are, not only accomplished computer whizzes, but also artists and nightlife stars, like DJ and musician Adriana Roberts, who, with Scott King, share a bit of the backstage B.A.R. scoop.
"Feminism has done more to save the lives of women in the last 30 years than Jesus Christ did in the last 2,000 years!" renowned lesbian feminist Sally Gearhart, Ph.D., proudly proclaimed as she opened her sermon one Sunday night.
Fifty years ago the gay bar — that foremost location for so much dating, friendships, political organizing, and times both fun and challenging — gave birth to the B.A.R.
The Bay Area Reporter front page on September 20, 1990 announced that the San Francisco chapter of the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power, or ACT UP, had split into two groups.
For 50 years the Bay Area Reporter has chronicled the development of the LGBT movement in San Francisco.
Through the first 50 years of the Bay Area Reporter's existence, the paper's coverage of sports and sports-related topics has evolved from that of cheerleader and recording secretary to social advocate and noble muckraker.
AIDS first came to the world's attention with a June 5, 1981, report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about five cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) among young gay men in Los Angeles.
A couple of weeks ago, we asked Bay Area Reporter readers to share some of their memories of the newspaper as it turns 50. Here are their stories.
Over its 50 years in print, the Bay Area Reporter has showcased a wide array of opinionated voices on its opinion pages.
With more than 900 articles penned for the Bay Area Reporter, I feel a strong connection as the newspaper celebrates its 50th anniversary this week. I thought to share some behind the scenes tales as well.
In honor of the B.A.R.'s 50th anniversary, let's look back on the past five decades of local leather seen through the lens of the paper, which is admittedly but a smidgen of the entirety of local leather history.
Our veteran erotica reviewer reminisces about the early glory days of gay porn on film, vintage B.A.R. coverage, and porn's rise, (ahem) in popularity before changes made into VHS and online formats.
The Bay Area Reporter has never shied away from expressing and exploring every aspect of the community, including sexuality. A look back at the 1990s peak of escort ads leads to bit of erotic nostalgia.
If you search the word "theater" in the archives of the Bay Area Reporter, you'll discover plenty of features and reviews. A few productions with LGBT themes stand out.
Philip Campbell summates 50 years of the Bay Area Reporter's classical music and opera coverage, noting examples and adding personal remarks to recount his four decades of contribution.
A former assistant editor and current freelance writer, Mark Norby recalls his first days working at the B.A.R.'s 9th & Harrison office.
From the beginning, the Bay Area Reporter has covered celebrities, both Broadway and Hollywood stars. many have indeed sat down with us for a chat. There are many such examples in the B.A.R. archives.
It wasn't until the third issue of the 'Bay Area Reporter' in 1971 that the rationale for having a film section was revealed by its first critic. 100s of film reviews since then have catalogued the rise of indie and mainstream cinematic LGBT depiction.
In the "better late than never" department, the Bay Area Reporter has revived its YouTube channel in preparation for its April 2021 50th anniversary. The BAR's channel currently consists of playlists, but will soon include original content.
In a continuing effort to receive support from readers, the Bay Area Reporter has launched its membership program.
Thank you very much, it has been both humbling and encouraging receiving your generous support when so many are also in need of help. So far, we have raised just over $25,000 and are just 15% away from reaching our goal of $30,000.
San Francisco is one of 11 US cities that is fortunate to have a legacy LGBT publication by us, for us, and about us. Help preserve the BAR as an historic and important community institution for the future.