To know that people have always had same-sex attraction, or been differently gendered, is empowering, especially to young people who might think they are the only ones experiencing their difference.
Jim Van Buskirk was the founding program manager of the James C. Hormel LGBGTQIA Center at the San Francisco Public Library from 1992-2007, and currently works as a book group facilitator, writer, editor, public speaker, exhibit curator, and collections manager. His writing has appeared in various books, newspapers, magazines, websites, and broadcasts and he presents programs on film, queer history, and other topics. He co-authored Gay by the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area with Susan Stryker, and co-edited with Katherine V. Forrest Love, Castro Street: Reflections of San Francisco.