Summary
1. Introduction to Guerneville
An hour-and-a-half north of San Francisco, along the Russian River amid towering redwood trees, is a small town in Sonoma County that’s just as queer as the Castro. Once an industrialized hub for logging, Guerneville, California, is now a veritable Fire Island for wine country and the Bay Area—an idyllic summer retreat that’s become a must-visit destination for in-the-know gay travelers.
2. Queer Businesses and Events
For a town of less than 5,000, it boasts a staggering number of queer businesses and events, including summer’s wildly popular Lazy Bear Week (a spree of pool parties and events geared towards the gay bear community) and a wine-tasting room co-owned by a civil rights activist who helped legalize same-sex marriage. Plus, there’s a permanent sense of Pride that has transformed Guerneville from a seasonal escape to a year-round oasis.
3. Historical Significance
Guerneville emerged as a logging town in the late 1800s, resulting in so many downed redwoods that it became known as “Stumptown.” After preservationist James Armstrong stepped in to save the all-natural skyscrapers, loggers were steadily replaced by vacationers, many of whom made the trek up from San Francisco to bask in the bucolic forests and swim in the river.
It wasn’t until after California’s sodomy laws were repealed in 1976 that the town became a hub for LGBTQIA+ folks, lured by its summertime sunshine and affordable prices. Following a series of floods in the ’60s, a surplus of resorts for sale enabled LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs to make their mark on the town.
4. Community Impact and Change
One such entrepreneur was Peter Pender, a pioneering gay man who established Guerneville’s first gay resort, Fife’s, in 1978. Its popularity ignited a wave of gay businesses and overnight stays. These include The Woods, a gay-owned hotel with cottages, cabins, and a clothing-optional pool; The R3 Hotel with its pool parties and women’s weekends; and Rainbow Cattle Company, a gay dive bar that still beckons visitors with its glowing rainbow façade on Main Street.
The dive bar, one of the sole remaining businesses from Guerneville’s earliest queer days, opened in 1979, operating discreetly with boarded windows to prevent homophobic passersby from egging it. Bob Frederick, a Guerneville transplant from San Francisco, recalls, “Being a gay bar on Main Street, our neon sign out front is the first sign they see when they come into town.”
While other gay businesses have shuttered, including the original Fife’s (now Dawn Ranch), Rainbow Cattle Company has persevered thanks to its welcoming ambiance and charitable events like Give Back Tuesday. Charity is an important thread through Guerneville’s queer businesses, inspiring a domino effect for like-minded businesses to follow.
5. Future Prospects for Guerneville
The future looks bright for Guerneville. Progressive entrepreneurs believe the town will retain its eccentricity, allowing timeworn mainstays to endure while new transplants continue its inclusive legacy. “I think Guerneville is proudly quirky and I don’t see it losing that,” Obergefell states. “There’s an opportunity for growth, but I think Guerneville will continue to be Guerneville.”
As more people discover this fantastic destination, Guerneville continues to thrive with its unique art scene and vintage shops, leading to an exciting evolution of what this charming town offers.
