San Francisco Gay Publisher Dies

(San Francisco, California) Friends and colleagues of Bay Area Reporter publisher Bob Ross are remembering him as a guiding light in the emergence of San Francisco's gay community.

Ross died last week of complications from diabetes. He was 69.

In the late 1960s several bars in the city mimeographed single page gossip sheets. In 1971 Ross, who was a chef at the former PS Restaurant on Polk Street and a friend, Paul Bentley, decided it was time the community had its own newspaper and the Bay Area Reporter or B.A.R. was born. Eventually, Ross took over the paper completely.

Filled with news, politics, and civil rights, the paper existed on advertising, and was distributed free through the clubs.

Ross is credited with helping get Harvey Milk elected Supervisor.

"I doubt that Harvey would ever have been elected without the support of the Bay Area Reporter," said Cleve Jones, a veteran activist and founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. "He and Bob were very close."

Yet, after Milk's assassination, a move to have Ross named to fill the Supervisor's position was rejected. In his 1982 biography of Milk, late gay writer Randy Shilts wrote that Mayor Dianne Feinstein vetoed the plan because Ross had recently been elected the "emperor" of San Francisco by the gay bars.

From the beginning of the AIDS crisis the B.A.R. was at the forefront of providing the community with information.

In 1989, Ross used eight pages of his newspaper to publish 610 photos of people who had died of AIDS.

"It was really important to give a face to what AIDS was doing to our community," said San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty. "For me, Bob set the highest caliber of standards for the Bay Area Reporter."

Ross was also a co-founder of the Tavern Guild, now a foundation, which helped bar employees overturn the system of payoffs to police that were at one time demanded in exchange for allowing the bars to remain open.

He also served for many years on the Golden Gate Bridge District Board and on the board of trustees of the San Francisco Ballet.

"Bob Ross was a great San Franciscan and a dear friend," said Mayor Willie Brown. "His immense contribution to this city is epitomized by the Bay Area Reporter, but his gifts go well beyond that groundbreaking publication."

A memorial service is being planned for January at the Herbst Theatre.

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