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The name Lavender Heights name became official in 2015, an achievement memorialized by the unveiling of the rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of 20th and K Street.

The rainbow crosswalks were designed as a celebration of the region’s LGBT community and are similar to those in other U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and West Hollywood.

The Merc played an important role in increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in the city. The establishment of Faces paved the way for other LGBTQIA+ businesses to open in the immediate area, which earned its name Lavender Heights.

1986, the Lambda Community Center opened to serve the broader cross-section of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

As suburban development drew wealthier residents out of the city, housing in the Central City became more affordable. Respect us, and we’ll respect you!”

Today, all three bars—The Merc, The Depot, and Faces—remain open and continue to serve as key landmarks in Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community.

This blog only scratches the surface of the Historic Context Statement.

gay district sacramento

To explore Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history in full detail—including historical maps, oral histories, and significant landmark sites—you can read the full report here.

History of Lavender Heights and Midtown

It is impossible to speak of LGBTQ+ history and culture in Midtown without mention of the Lavender Heights District.

For over 25 years, they have been producing content for LGBTQ+ locals that includes local LGBTQ+ news, events, and highlights of community members.

To learn more about Sacramento’s rich LGBTQ+ history and stay connected with the community, explore the full Historic Context Statement and get involved with local organizations.

Take a walking tour. Below see a brief timeline of LGBTQ+ history from 1978 to today!

In 1978, just nine years after the Stonewall Riots, the Lambda Community Fund, now known as the Sacramento LGBT Community Center was originally incorporated as a special assistance program based in Midtown, Sacramento. These grassroots efforts laid the foundation for a more visible and cohesive LGBTQ+ presence.

The next step was to fund the project, which would be accomplished entirely through private donations, with no city funding.

The Rainbow Chamber of Commerce was the chief marketer and cheerleader for the project, launching an aggressive public relations and marketing campaign to publicize the cause. The Center’s website provides several links to community resources including Advocacy, Arts and Culture, Community, Social, Health & Wellness, and more.

Rainbow Chamber: The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber has a member directory of LGBTQ-owned and ally-owned businesses in Sacramento.

Plan a family outing. Whatever you're looking for, Sacramento welcomes you to see and do it all in an inclusive city like no other.

HRC Score 100

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In 2023, the city took an important step toward honoring that legacy by receiving a grant to develop an LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement (HCS).

The LGBTQ+ community in Sacramento did not begin shifting from West Sacramento to Midtown til after the 1969 Stonewall riots and the 1975 repeal of California’s anti-sodomy laws.

Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community remained largely underground until the late 1970s. “When I opened it, it was where everyone who was gay could go, that was 33 years ago,” Faces owner Terry Sidie said, in an interview with ABC10 in 2017.

The center is a proven leader in LGBTQ health issues, including HIV and AIDS health issues, and is regarded as a safe space for LGBTQ community members to receive healthcare.

Outword Magazine: Outward Magazine is the leading LGBTQ magazine for Central and Northern California. Programs served LGBTQ+ people to lead self-sufficient, healthy, well-adjusted lives, and provided advocacy for issues of importance within the community.

In 1998, the Lavender Library was founded by eight community members as a research and information institution for LGBTQ+ people in Sacramento and continues operation today on 21st Street.

In 2001, the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce was founded to unify and support LGBTQ businesses, as well as to foster a more equitable business climate.

In 2015, Sacramento City Council member Steve Hansen, Sacramento’s first openly LGBTQ+ council member, invited the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce to be part of a community coalition to pursue official city designation of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Midtown Sacramento historically known as Lavender Heights.

Titled “Legends of Courage: The Rosemary Metrailer Story” highlights actions leading up to the legal action against the Rev. Jerry Falwell, which led to the founding of the Center by Metrailer in 1984. Join us in celebrating and supporting the vibrant culture that makes Midtown and Lavender Heights so unique!

Lavender Heights Unveiling

In 2015, Sacramento City Council member Steve Hansen, Sacramento’s first openly LGBTQ+ council member, invited Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce to be part of a community coalition to pursue official city designation of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Midtown Sacramento historically known as “Lavender Heights.” For generations the Lavender Heights neighborhood has been central to Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ culture and community: home to the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Community Center, founded in 1983; five LGBTQ+ nightclubs; and numerous LGBTQ+-owned shops, galleries, eateries and other businesses.

The goal of establishing Lavender Heights as an official district was two-fold: to serve as a memorial and landmark referencing the history of Sacramento’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community; and to attract local and regional residents and tourists to the area’s many LGBTQ+-owned clubs, restaurants, salons, galleries and retail stores.

Chamber leaders, in particular then-Chamber President Paul Weubbe, and other community activists spent countless hours meeting with local neighborhood associations, the Midtown Business Association and area business owners, winning broad support for the official neighborhood designation.

As a “flagship” landmark to spotlight the new district, the city approved installation of a rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of 20th and K, the heart of Lavender Heights.

In a few short months, the effort raised $38,000 to install the colorful crosswalk using durable materials, in addition to funding its ongoing maintenance under the direction of the Midtown Business Association.

Unveiled in October 2015, the rainbow crosswalk installation proved to be a red-hot media story, receiving ongoing media coverage locally and throughout California, from the time the City Council approved the project through its October “ribbon-cutting.” Anecdotal and social media evidence shows the crosswalk continues to be a popular attraction, with many visitors posting photos of the crosswalk on social media channels.

The Rainbow Chamber Foundation continues to serve as fiscal agent for additional projects to fund street light banners, sign-toppers and other public art installations designed to attract tourists, diners and shoppers to the vibrant and flourishing Lavender Heights business district.

LGBTQ Sacramento

When you visit Sacramento, you'll discover a community where LGBTQ+ people live loudly, proudly, and authentically every day of the year.

The bar was also known for its rainbow-colored triangular sign, which read, “You are entering a gay bar! While most gay residents lived in suburban areas, many also settled in the Central City, drawn by job opportunities, proximity to natural attractions, and the desire to avoid the pressures of larger cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles.

This comprehensive document was created to identify, preserve, and celebrate the people, places, and stories that have long defined LGBTQ+ life in Sacramento.

Drawing from archival research, oral histories, and firsthand accounts, the report brings Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history into clearer focus.

This blog highlights some key historical moments captured in the Historic Context Statement related to the history of LGBTQ+ life in Sacramento and Midtown, but it only scratches the surface of the full research document.

Among the area’s earliest inhabitants, indigenous groups such as the Nisenan, Miwok, and Patwin recognized and accepted diverse expressions of gender and sexuality. At the time, most gay and lesbian individuals stayed closeted to avoid social or professional consequences.