ABSTRACT
Charlotte Coleman was more or less forced to resign from the Internal Revenue Service because of her suspected lesbianism, and, deciding to become more open about her same-sex preferences, she opened the first lesbian-owned bar in San Francisco, The Front. This was the first of many gay bars and restaurants she established; when one closed she moved on to another, including the Golden Cask and the Mint. She was not a passive owner but an active one, and her bars and restaurants hosted many a fund-raising event in the gay community and served as a safe meeting place for others. She was among the founders of the San Francisco Tavern Guild, which, aided by the wholesale liquor dealers, served as an effective political force in opening up the bar scene in San Francisco. She was instrumental in the foundation of the first gay bank, was important in the development of the Gay Olympics, and was a strong supporter of the Daughters of Bilitis.
