I know that during WWII, soldiers (from the Pacific Theatre) who were discharged for homosexuality were processed and released in SF. Given that going home and explaining what happened was probably not the most appealing idea, many of them just stayed in the city.
As a follow up question, Brighton in the UK has a similar repuation, and this makes me wonder why?
Or should that be posted as a separate question? I would imagine that someone versed in queer history might be able to answer both.
As a follow up question, I've often heard the rumor that homosexual behavior became more normalized following the male-dominated gold rush to California. Is there any veracity to this story?