Since the late 1970s, the low-income Polk Gulch district has been a national destination and home for some of the most underrepresented segments of the LGBT community, including runaway and homeless youth. The neighborhood is changing, but “The Punk Priest of Polk Street” captures a surprising, personal story from the Rev. River Sims, who serves these youth. Joey Plaster brings us this story. Joey is a widely published freelance journalist with experience at The Nation, Alternet, and Z Magazine. He has also worked as an oral historian with the Oberlin College LGBT Community History Project and the GLBT Historical Society's Oral History Initiative. You can find photos from this story and more at Polk Street: Lives in Transition, an exhibit which captures life in this historic neighborhood.
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Since the late 1970s, the low-income Polk Gulch district has been a national destination and home for some of the most underrepresented segments of the LGBT community, including runaway and homeless youth. The neighborhood is changing, but “The Punk Priest of Polk Street” captures a surprising, personal story from the Rev. River Sims, who serves these youth. Joey Plaster brings us this story. Joey is a widely published freelance journalist with experience at The Nation, Alternet, and Z Magazine. He has also worked as an oral historian with the Oberlin College LGBT Community History Project and the GLBT Historical Society's Oral History Initiative. You can find photos from this story and more at Polk Street: Lives in Transition, an exhibit which captures life in this historic neighborhood. 
