A local literary arts group is aiming to “queer” the Castro through a yearlong program of events in response to concerns that the San Francisco district is losing its identity as an LGBT neighborhood.
Radar Productions secured $25,000 from the city’s Grants for the Arts for its Queering the Castro series of readings, performances, and panel discussions. Founded in 2003 by writer Michelle Tea, Radar helps nurture queer artists by promoting their work through public events and commissioning new pieces.
“I think the Castro has always straddled that line between gay conservative and radical queer. We want to bring queer artists into that neighborhood, especially queer artists of color that don’t often come into the neighborhood,” said Juliana Delgado Lopera, 27, a lesbian who in July became Radar’s executive director and artistic director.