That Polk Street was the gay neighborhood before the Castro rose to international prominence surprised Chattan. The crowd was so thick, Chattan had to shove her way out the doors to stop for a cigarette on the sidewalk. From the jukebox, Eminem’s voice shouted about “white America” and video monitors showed “Swingers,” the film covering the dating life of straight-laced men. Inside, women sipped fancy cocktails and flirted with guys in baseball caps.
It was the first time that Chattan visited the trendy R Bar in a neighborhood once known for its drug deals, prostitutes, drag queens, transgendered people and gay men.
