SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A proposal to designate Lavender Heights as a historic district could help preserve buildings connected to Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history, including sites associated with activism, community building and care during the AIDS crisis.
Lavender Heights is widely known as the center of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community, but local activist and content creator Mitchell McCartney said the neighborhood’s influence extends far beyond its boundaries.
“Being the capital of California, some of the events that happened in our community here had profound impacts across the state and across our country,” McCartney said. “So it’s not just that there are really cool, interesting stories to tell here. They’re also very impactful.”
McCartney has used social media to highlight that history through a series called “Stop Whispering, Start Shouting.”
“A lot of us are really not familiar with Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history that happened here, nor are we familiar with how truly impactful it was,” he said.
The proposed historic district would recognize about a dozen buildings, including the former home of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center and establishments that remain open.
Among them is Faces Nightclub, which opened in the 1980s. McCartney said owner Terry Sidie has supported the community through philanthropic work and helped launch Rainbow Festival, an annual Sacramento event.
The Mercantile Saloon, commonly known as The Merc, also played an important role as a gathering place, McCartney said.
“We have to remember that in the ’70s and ’80s, there was no internet,” he said. “People, especially queer people, were closeted. They were unable to be publicly themselves. So queer establishments like The Merc were the places that people got together to find each other and to find community.”
The city drafted its historic district plan in 2024. The proposal grew out of a city-funded report that included interviews with community members, business owners and people who experienced the neighborhood’s history.
One building included in the proposal, which now houses a clothing store, is connected to early care for AIDS patients. McCartney said queer doctors treated patients there when misinformation and homophobia made it difficult for them to receive care at traditional hospitals.
“Queer doctors within our community served those initial patients and ultimately succumbed to the disease themselves,” McCartney said.
McCartney said preserving the buildings is only one part of recognizing Lavender Heights’ legacy. Sacramento has also begun exploring the creation of cultural districts, which could highlight significant people and stories in addition to protecting physical locations.
“Those come with a lot more of those protections and highlighting of important people and stories that I think a lot of us want to see in addition to historic preservation,” he said.
The historic district proposal remains in draft form. The city is seeking public feedback before moving forward with a final plan.
KCRA 3 contacted Sacramento’s preservation staff to ask when the plan could be finalized but did not receive a response.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.