The city was home to hippies, rock groups, and anti-war protesters.
It also became an epicenter for the Gay Liberation movement. San Francisco's Castro District was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the US. Politician Harvey Milk — the first openly gay elected official in California — ran his campaign headquarters out of a camera shop in the neighborhood.
Milk was assassinated at City Hall in 1978. Immediately after his death, a group of mourners marched with candles from City Hall to the Castro District.