San Francisco, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Last year, The Adobo Chronicles reported that Halloween in the Castro is set to return in 2014 with certain restrictions.

The City and County of San Francisco and the sponsors of the event, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, agreed that only certified gay men and women will be allowed entry into the October 31st street festival.  This was  aimed at weeding out straight revelers who were said to be responsible for stabbing and shooting incidents in the past.

As part of the agreement, members of the LGBTQ community will have to register with San Francisco’s City Hall and be included in a “gay registry.”  Registrants, who will take an oath admitting that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning, will be issued special identification cards linked to the official registry.  The IDs will be the only accepted pass to gain entry to the Halloween event. ID’s will be scanned at entrances to the event to confirm that individuals are listed in the official registry.

The registration period began on October 1, 2013 and ends on October 30, 2014.  However, as of today, City Hall is reporting that only 180 people have signed up for the gay registry.  “This number is not sufficient to justify street closures on Halloween night,” said Scott Wiener, who represents the Castro District on the Board of Supervisors. “We therefore have no choice but to cancel the event.”

Sister Mary Clarence of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has no logical explanation for the low number of sign-ups for the gay registry. “I can only speculate that many baby boomer LGBTs no longer enjoy gay-themed Halloween parties, or that the younger generation of LGBTs are choosing to stay or get back in the closet,” she said.

A Castro resident who spoke on condition of anonymity thinks that with recent progress in marriage equality and LGBT rights, people in our community no longer feel the need for a separate Halloween celebration.