Author Jim Van Buskirk, former director of the James C. Hormel Lesbian & Gay Center at the SF Main Library, will present Before the Rainbow Flag: California's Gay History at 7:30 p.m. With images from Gay by the Bay: A History of Queer Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area (Chronicle Books, 1996), Van Buskirk explores the Golden State's rich history of sexual minorities.

Long before the concept of "gay" pride or lifestyle, homosexuality was a behavior, not an identity. Imposing 20th or 21st century labels on California's pioneers is a mistake, according to Van Buskirk.

"We can't re-write history or assume photographs of same-sex social groups or couples imply LGBT relationships," he says. "Homosexuality was a private behavior, and most people would have avoided any appearance of it. But we can certainly speculate."

The Oakland Museum of California is devoted to the art, history, natural sciences, and peoples of California. Opened in 1969, the museum offers changing exhibitions, prestigious collections, annual festivals and fairs, and innovative education programs. -- www.museumca.org