Great Escape

They Survived the AIDS Epidemic and Found a Way to Give Back

See the town where LGBTQ San Franciscans have been seeking refuge since the 1970s

Sister Francis A. Sissy stands for a portrait at her home, 40 acres called Honeyrock Ranch. Healdsburg, California, 2014. All photos: Talia Herman. Photo editing by Michelle Le.

I was raised in Guerneville, California. My parents still live in my childhood home. Guerneville’s this mix of hippies, hillbillies, and old bikers living along the Russian River…