Book excerpt: The stories in San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate! recount episodes in the life of a gay man over six turbulent decades, from the Second World War until the present day, and place each in the political and social context of the period. They detail gay life in San Francisco in the 1950s and 1960s, the infamous Boys of Boise affair, AIDS in the 1980s, and the principal protagonist's effort to reconcile his sexuality, his socio-political leanings, and his love-hate relationship with the country of his birth. It ends with his reflections on life and approaching death. These stories detail seminal events in gay history and paint a personal narrative that is amusing, serious and often touching.