Efforts Under Way to Create Gay District

[ClarkUSA]

SPOKANE, Wash. - Gay activists in this staid Washington city are planning to create a neighborhood of gay-oriented homes, businesses and nightlife Ñ a development religious conservatives contend would clash with Spokane's family-centered culture.

Ê"A gay mecca is not what we'd like to see Spokane marketed as," said Penny Lancaster, director of Community Impact Spokane, a network of evangelical Christians. "I'd rather see us promoted as a conservative, family-oriented community without any reference to sexual orientation."

<snip>

Spokane Ñ which in trendy Seattle is shorthand for tragically unhip Ñ has long been dominated by conservative politics that stem from its history as a mining and farming center. But it also has a large core of Democrats and libertarians who share the West's live-and-let-live philosophy.

Most of all, the city identifies itself as a good place to raise a family Ñ and opponents contend that's at odds with the image of a gay district.

<snip>

The idea for the district has roots in the theories of Richard Florida, an economist whose 2002 book "The Rise of the Creative Class" contends the economy of the future will be created by the 38 million workers who toil in creative industries.

Florida, a Carnegie Mellon University professor, said members of the creative class consider recreation, culture and ethnic diversity, including a large population of gays, as central to where they live. Places like New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle have those qualities. Places like Spokane generally do not.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=7&u=/ap/gay_spokane

[aikido15]

1. I love it!

:bounce:

[fortyfeetunder]

2. Only a gay district?

What Spokane needs is a district where rational, tolerant and progressive people can live too....

[w13rd0]

5. Take any district...

...add culture, art, libraries, theatre, good locally owned small businesses...and rational, tolerant, progressive people naturally follow.

[aikido15]

14. I think all would be welcome...

all progressives that is!:hippie:

[jdj]

56. so you fell for the spin.

I'm personally so sick of living in a white christian hatemonger district that I want to personally stop and thank every non-English speaking hispanic that I see (in probably the last five years hispanics have come to be 25% of the population here).

One little district in the Northwest, however marketed, isn't going to affect the majority of bland, middle class anti-cultural suburban armpits all over the U.S.

[w13rd0]

3. How come these "christians" always support...

...the "free market" at the cost of consumer rights, EXCEPT when it conflicts with their narrow worldview? What's up with that?

[orpupilofnature57]

51. Excuse me you meant (FUNDIES)no decent Christian supports

this idiot.

[dsc]

4. I am not entirely sure how one goes about creating a gay district

but probably keeping conservative nut jobs from whining in the press would help.

[madrchsod]

13. putting up signs?

"slow- gay zone"- "sharp creative people ahead"- "gaydar zone"

[despairing optimist]

6. I want a gay planet! Let's get outta here!

The best literature, food, clothes, music, art. Everyone cool with being who you are with no hangups. I could deal with it.

[Digit]

7. I am straight, but I am all for it. eom

[piece sine]

52. I am gay and I'm appalled!

Nobody wants to be corralled into a ghetto-like enclave. Can you imagine the uproar is gay were FORCED to live in one district. This is mindless folly -- I'm going to live where I god-damn well feel like it. No gay ghetto for me. I'm shocked liberals think this is any way a good idea.

[psychopomp]

54. Obviously you have never been to the Castro

[jayfish]

8. Do Not Let Them Win.

Do not segregate yourselves, you will give them what they want. Stay!

Jay

[Rush1184]

9. I am against this for the same reason I am against affirmative action...

sexual orientation should not be an issue, nor should it influence where ones live.

[aikido15]

11. huh?

Affirmative action is needed because without it the playing field in not level. In an ideal world that doesn't discriminate against minorities, then yes, affirmative action might be a bad thing and discriminatory in itself...it has helped a lot of people who don't have the same opportunities the republicans think we all have, but do not!

[Erika]

18. We want to be with those who we identify with

and support them in their endeavors and beliefs. Much like the reason we are here together and why we spend our $ on blue companies.

This is human nature.

[henrik larssonisking]

55. agreement

people are always going to gravitate to people who are most like them in ideals, background etc. I guess its a primevil urge to belong to a family group, hence we will always have areas where it looks like god carbon copied everyone living in the neighbourhood.

[Liberal Veteran]

19. Beg to differ, but I don't think I would go to a gay-unfriendly city.

Unless I absolutely had to.

[madrchsod]

10. more mumbo jumbo

from someone who wrote a book that claims the "creative class" will generate 38 million jobs..

[Liberal Veteran]

12. I'm already gay and live in Spokane.

Yay, me!

[ruggerson]

20. Wow, talk about being ahead of the curve

:)

[LosinIt]

36. A gay veteran. So did they ask, did you tell??

Just wondering how your time in the service was. Were you harassed or were you just closeted? I have wondered how that 'policy' worked.

[Bruce McAuley]

42. Peaceful Valley or Hangman Creek?

I've had gay friends in the past who lived in Spokane, both women and men. They liked the city, and never felt oppressed. The men have since died of AIDS, and the women(some of them) have moved away.
Peaceful Valley in particular seemed to have a high percentage of gays, but maybe not any more, dunno.
What do you think?

Bruce

[fnottr]

15. How, precisely, do they intend to do this?

I mean how do you make "gay-oriented homes and businesses"? I mean, gay people live in the same houses and buy mostly the same shit as straight people, don't they? I thought most 'gay neighborhoods' just kinda developed over time and weren't really planned.

[Liberal Veteran]

17. Little do you comprehend the power of......

[fnottr]

21. Ohhh right, right, I forgot about that

All they need to do is put some sponge-bob pictures up on billboards and that'll turn that entire part of town gay.....so that's the plan, eh?:eyes:

[MADem]

26. Put Tinky Winky, or whatever the name of that

purple purse-wielding Teletubby was, alongside the Sponge, and they'll go totally ballistic.

Wow, it doesn't take much to make these intolerant wingnuts come out of the woodwork, does it? I guess they don't like it when "they" (and "they" can be any group the wingers don't like) decide to band together in any fashion, be it politically, in neighborhoods, in relationships....their essential argument is "keep 'em divided, and we will conquer!"

Hey, they have no logical arguments, they have to rely on hate. It's pretty pathetic...!

[rucky]

39. Um, Spokane is a little too far inland...

dontcha think?

That's why the Cons almost always live away from water. They are protected from the spell of Spongebob.

[aikido15]

22. This is not a new concept...

Where I live in St. Louis we have lists of gay owned and run businesses and lists of other businesses that support "pride" sort of like a shopping guide. It's just another name for a gay community, no? That's what I read out of it, and that's great if that's what they want to do. The progressives support this in St. Louis, maybe they will there also.

[fnottr]

25. Alright

So pretty much all they have to do is find an area with a bunch of buisness property for rent, and open up a bunch of gay friendly buisnesses, and the community will follow? Sounds pretty reasonable to me, and if that's the tactic, then there's not really a damned thing the fundies can do about it, legally speaking.

[w13rd0]

28. HI NEIGHBOR!

:)

[DBoon]

24. Paint them lavender?

eom?

[TahitiNut]

16. Well, it is called the "Queen City"

True. :eyes:

[DBoon]

23. I like "live and let live libertarians"

We Democrats should make a place for these people.

I think on the issue of personal liberty, we can gain support in places like this.

[SKKY]

27. Cool. I bet they'll have some great stores there.

Specifically clothing stores. Because we all know, nobody dresses better than a gay guy.

[Duncan Grant]

33. LMAO!

You should hear what my friends say about sailors!

[SKKY]

48. Ok, I'll bite. What do they say?

[Duncan Grant]

50. It's not about being well dressed, that's for sure.

Perhaps we should just leave it at that. :thumbsup:

[Sunny_Sunshine]

47. You know, this has not been my experience

I have a gay son and he's not a real snappy dresser, in fact, his sister despairs of him ever looking hip. He also does not clean and doesn't like cats. Sigh, where did I go wrong.

[dutchdoctor]

29. Well it would be a great place to raise kids then, wouldn't it?

"Most of all, the city identifies itself as a good place to raise a family"
What better place to teach your kids tolerance, culture, openness to others than a gay district?

[murielm99]

30. Is he drooling in that picture?

It looks that way.

How utterly disgusting!

[dutchdoctor]

31. you should see the bottom half of the picture,

had to cut it off or the picture wouldn't be allowed...
drool? mm, could be..

[murielm99]

32. Ack! Yuck!

Now I am going to have nightmares!

[leQ]

34. this isn't anything new.... gay districts have been around for years

chelsea, the village in new york, castro, folsom, tenderloin in san francisco, west hollywood in LA.... and if you notice, those are pretty much all high rent areas.

[xchrom]

35. they were low rent to start

i've lived in every one of those places -- before the rents went up.
gay folk first moving in -- the place gets exciting -- and very trendy/bohemian.
then straight folk show up -- and boom there goes the neighborhood and the rents go up!
just teasing.

this is a great idea{re: the original message} -- there are places in the country where more settled, older gay folk would like to emmigrate.
they would love to create wonderful communities inside already diverse areas.
variety is a natural draw for gay folk -- and economically targeting them for community growth makes sense.

[arwalden]

37. Spokane (Bob Rivers Show)

Whatever truths there are in the lyrics to this parody song might help to explain the Christian resistance to such an effort to be inclusive of gays and lesbians.

The links below direct you to a web page with an embedded streaming player. It's not a direct MP3 download.

300K Player: http://www.bobrivers.com/player/player.asp?atype=tunes&ID=754&Speed=4
28.8 Player http://www.bobrivers.com/player/player.asp?atype=tunes&ID=754&Speed=1

Spokane
(Parody of Cocaine by Eric Clapton)

When your drivin’ all day
Ain’t seen nothing but hay
Spokane (Spo-caine)
”What did you say boy?”

When you’re down on your luck
And they repo your truck
Spokane (Spo-caine)

”Hehehe, You ain’t from around here are you ?
It’s Spokane
It’s Spokane
It’s Spokane, son
Spokane (Spo-caine)

”Ga-digg boy! Listen, mister, you’re gonna have to learn a few things if you’re gonna hang around this part of the state!”

Well the Cougars did hot
They’ll be drinkin’ a lot
Spokane (Spo-caine)
”Well, we do know how to celebrate, don’t we, hehe!”

There ain’t no place to go
‘Cept for Idaho
Spokane (Spo-caine)

”Now maybe I didn’t make myself clear
It’s Spokane
It’s Spokane
It’s Spokane
You obviously ain’t catchin’ on
Maybe you need a lesson from Smith & Wesson”
Yeehooo!
Spokane
”Now you got it You only half-bad. Why don’t you come over to the place. Ethel and I got some possum on. I got a daughter, that’ll just love you. She’s a big girl, but I think you can handle her. How tall are you?”

[Stinky The Clown]

38. It seems an easy next step to wall the place off ..........

..... and exercise more control. It can make the "roundup" easier, yanno.

:tinfoilhat:

Be careful what you wish for.

[tjdee]

40. I do not like this idea.

I also do not like the idea of black, or jewish districts.

One reason being that it's voluntary segregation, which as a black person gives me the creeps.

Second reason is that straight (or white, or gentile) people can like that a bit too much-- "why don't you stay in your part of town?" Why make it easier for bigots?

Third reason is that all the psychos know just where you are if they want to practice a little homegrown terrorism.

If it happens naturally, hey. But to actually plan a district seems weird.

[Bridget Burke]

43. It does seem weird....

Houston's Montrose Area is generally considered the "gay" part of town. This residential area very close to downtown has fine old housing stock, once available cheap. Gays opened antique shops, flower shops & the discreet gay bar or two. And fixed up some of the fine old homes. As the years passed, "discretion" became less necessary; the rainbow flag is flown by many a business.

But the Montrose was never "all Gay"--old settlers, other Bohemians, etc. always lived there. Lots of the old houses have been torn down to build condos for people tired of commuting--people of all inclinations. And the rest of Houston has never been "all Straight". Quite a few of the weekend visitors drive in from suburbia.

There's no real segregation, but the f****t bashers drive in from the 'burbs along with the closet cases. Or the other closet cases....

It does seem as though Spokane is going about this oddly.

[Skidmore]

41. Kinda like the Jewish ghetto

of Warsaw and other European countries during WWII. Why marginalize your group more?

[Sgent]

44. Jewish districts will always be around...

Orthodox jews will not drive on the sabath, and many conservatives won't either (it's considered highly undesireable by conservatives). Therefore, most homes surrounding a shul will be Jewish, since they need to walk every week.

As for "gay districts", I lived in the Esplanade area of New Orleans as one of the few straight men in a predominately gay area. No crime, great music, walking distance to everyting -- enjoyed it quite a bit.

That area has always been known as the "gay" area, so I don't know how it originally got its reputation.

[Skidmore]

45. I just think that isolating is not the answer, particularly in these

times. Why create an easier target of ones' self?

[David__77]

46. Hmm... Being gay, I've avoided the "gay districts."

I don't care for the idea of gay concentration. I think it's important that people like me, living with their spouses/domestic partners, live in many different types of communities.

The thing to remember is, that once people know lesbians and gay people personally and see them regularly, this undermines heterosexism and bigotry. The most anti-gay people include those who have never met a gay person and rarely see a gay person at all.

[henrik larssonisking]

53. agreement

I think you are correct that any section of the population that ghettoises itself, instead of living throughout the community is going to cause more bigotry.

[Logician]

57. But it acts as a magnet for those of us who do not wish to live in ghettos

My husband and I (we live in MA) have never wanted to live in neighborhoods that were exclusively gay, but these neighborhoods do bring large numbers of GLBT folks to cities with them. Maybe it is the de facto demonstration that these neighborhoods can thrive in certain cities, but many other gays and lesbians then move into other neighborhoods in cities external to 'exclusively' gay neighborhoods. I use quotes, since these neighborhoods never really become exclusively GLBT-- progressive and creative folks of all orientations move in.

Look at SF, NY, Boston, and Seattle-- these cities have gay neighborhoods, and what is associated with these neighborhoods? Other neighborhoods with high concentrations for gays and lesbians as well. Now it is difficult to disentangle which came first, the overall high proportion of gays or these neighborhoods, but I can tell you how often I hear that when GLBT folks want to relocate, they choose Boston, NYC or SF due in part, to the vital gay neighborhoods there-- they feel that life would be safe and happier there.

[VegasWolf]

49. This is not going to make Pat Robertson very happy! Ahh poor shit head.n/t