San Francisco the time. San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856. San Francisco's status as the West Coast's largest city peaked between 1870 and 1900, when around 25% of California's population resided in the city proper. After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. In World War II, San Francisco was a major port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater. It then became the birthplace of the United Nations in 1945. After the war, the confluence of returning
LGBT culture in San Francisco published in the city are "Curve" and "Girlfriends". The growing LGBT population led to some publishers applying the moniker "San Fagcisco" to the city, while inhabitants were given the demonym San Fagciscan. San Francisco has open LGBT identity participation in its political system. In 2012 William Harless of PBS Newshour stated that "the gay political scene in San Francisco still an exception". The Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club is a centrist LGBT Democratic Party organization. This club was founded around 1971. The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club is strongly left-leaning. The Milk club was founded as the San Francisco