Gay Guy and Straight Guy's Very Own Tales of the City?

Straight Guy,

Are you ready for San Francisco? I am not, and that plane leaves mighty early tomorrow.

Readers, as you may know, or can tell by our limited ability and energy to do much blogging of late, GG and SG have been drowning in work. Besides the usual flow, we are working on and staffing one of our employer's major events of the year. It's a complicated story, but think of it as an huge group of investors and potential investors. Yikes! We are old hands at it, but somehow it feels new each year--and deadlines keep rolling in.

The four-day event, comically called a "weekend," takes us to San Francisco this year. Don't get the idea that this is some junket: there's a little play but mostly it's all work. Plus a few dinners that take advantage of the city's legendary food.

Gay Guy will be tempted to explore some of San Francisco's gay night (and day) life. Even the raunchy kind. (GG has a habit of showing a different side of his tame personality out of town. Think of me as an anthropological tourist. ) Okay, raunchy is an exaggeration. I'm far too tidy and hygiene focused to visit a peep show or strip joint and wonder who has been sitting in the chair doing what.

My recent trips to SF show that it is a far cry and far cleaner since his first trip a long time ago. The Tenderloin is gone. The Castro has quieted down. I'm glad I saw them in action once.

We'll try to get some post up from the road.

 --Gay Guy

P.S.: If any of you don't recognize the allusion in the headline today, you owe it to yourself to check out the Tales of the City series, plus DVDs, by Armistead Maupin. A wonderful, touching and funny view of gay life in San Francisco.

5 comments:

Torque Story said...

I never read the books, but "Tales of the City" is one of my favorite mini-series. It aired on PBS back when PBS had guts.

straight in upstate said...

I thought of you last night, GG, while watching the American Experience "Stonewall" documentary. A lot of interviews with men and women who were there - talking about pre-Stonewall NYC, not just the uprising. I thought it was good - certainly a "beyond the rainbow sticker" look at what came before.

Gay Guy said...

Torque Story:
Glad you watched Tales. Would love to hear more about how PBS lost its guts.

Straight in Upstate,
I was watched American Experience, too. It's my Monday "must-see" TV.

I thought "Stonewall" was really good. Makes me glad, very glad, to be out and proud today, not trying (and probably failing) to make an honest life back then. There's plenty of homophobia today and still discrimination, but 40 years has made a huge difference and I am grateful.

I liked the point that one of the commentators made: That the event should be called "The Stonewall Uprising" not "Stonewall Riot." Uprising has a political, civil rights meaning -- what people do when their rights are compromised.

It makes me wonder why gays, myself included, have stopped taking to the streets in protest.

SteveA said...

I've been to SFO on business trips and I usually have to make some excuse to leave the heteros and find my playtime in The Castro - hehehehehe!

But at some times I do have to visit the strip joints (traditional) with my colleagues - torchure I tell you!

BosGuy said...

I hope you can enjoy yourself. I'll be in SF for work from 5/11-15. I'm staying thru the weekend for some fun and hope you both can do the same on your trip.

Safe travels & good luck with the work event.

Gay Guy / Straight Guy Archive