Square Dancing Stained Glass

Stained-glass windows that celebrate same-sex square dancing will be on display in various storefronts in San Francisco's Castro district throughout June (gay pride month). The biggest exhibit will be on the large windowed walls of Twin Peaks, a popular gay bar at the corner of Market and Castro Streets. The windows are the brainchild of Dan Smith, a gay stained-glass artist who has lived in the Castro for 30 years. He's also an avid fan of the three popular SF clubs that sponsor same-sex square dancing.

Smith assembled a group of dancers with no experience in stained glass work. He trained them to make windows celebrating their experiences at the clubs, at no expense to themselves. The San Francisco Arts Commission provided a $10,000 grant for the project, funded by the city's hotel tax.

He noted that same-sex square dancing has become a big thing not only in San Francisco but in many cities across the country.

'There's a reason why same-sex square dancing has taken off,' Smith said. 'The dancers have a more casual attitude about the roles of 'boy' and 'girl' than in the straight version. They dance either part at will. People are more relaxed and playful as a result.'^[1]

Dancers who participated in this project:

Marie Mohr & Kathy Healey