The Historic Boycott Coors Commemoration Day In The Castro

The 1970s Coors boycott in San Francisco was a landmark labor-civil rights campaign where the Teamsters union allied with LGBTQ+ activists, led by Harvey Milk and Allan Baird, to protest Coors' anti-union, anti-gay, and discriminatory hiring practices. This historic coalition permanently reshaped the American labor movement.

Key Details of the Boycott
    •    The Catalysts: In the early 1970s, Coors' harsh employment terms sparked widespread outrage. The brewery used mandatory polygraph tests to screen for political and sexual orientation, fought to dissolve Brewery Workers Local 366, and had a history of discriminatory hiring practices targeting Chicanos, African Americans, and the queer community.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tghs-Glkrg0&t=9
    •    The San Francisco Connection: Striking Teamsters drivers reached out to San Francisco's queer community in 1973. Because many gay bars in the Castro District stocked Coors, union organizers and LGBTQ+ leaders (including Howard Wallace) asked bar owners and distributors to stop carrying the beer.
https://daily.jstor.org/brewed-with-blood-the-coors-beercott-of-the-1970s/
https://www.facebook.com/harveymilkclub/posts/join-us-as-we-also-take-pride-in-worker-solidarity-with-the-coors-boycott-commem/1439583734878886/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yldwNzsCSf8
    •    Harvey Milk’s Support: Future San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk heavily championed the boycott, helping to transform it from a localized union dispute into a powerful national campaign.
    •    The Impact: Gay bartenders famously marched out of bars dumping Coors into the street, and major grocery stores eventually cleared the beer from their shelves. The financial strain was immense, causing Coors' market share to drop significantly before making concessions and facilitating union organization.
Modern Commemorations
    •    Annual Pride Actions: The legacy of this cross-movement solidarity is still celebrated locally. Activists and labor leaders—including the Coors Boycott Commemoration Committee and Teamsters Joint Council 7—gather in the Castro (e.g., at the corner of Market & Castro Streets) during Pride month to honor the historic alliance.