Hess: We explore two phenomenon in significant detail that have characterized the decline and ‘de-gaying’ of LGBTQ+ neighborhoods since 2000: (1) gentrification, which has raised property values and replaced longtime LGBTQ+ residents with non-LGTBQ+ residents, often in condominiums, and (2) friction between generational cohorts, characterized by the different perspectives of baby boomer ‘pioneers’ of gayborhoods who claimed disused urban space and renovated buildings and established communities, versus today’s generation of LGBTQ+ millennials who prefer broad inclusivity over the segregation of sexual minorities and who choose ‘gay-friendly’ coffeehouses over gay bars.īitterman: This reflects the struggle for (physical and social) space in gay neighborhoods, which is often borne out in the absence of reliable data about how LGBTQ+ individuals live and why they chose (or do not chose) to live in various communities. Why are you two interested in this topic?
The book explores ‘gayborhoods’ in significant detail, focusing on their formation, solidification during the sexual liberation and social movements (of the 1960s and 1970s), maturation (during the 1980s and 1990s), and changes since 2000. Hess, Editors of the book The Life and Afterlife of Gay Neighbourhoods: Renaissance and Resurgenceīitterman and Hess delve into the ways in which gay neighborhoods in cities across the globe cater to and provide safe harbor for LGBTQ+ residents, citizens, and visitors in settings intended to be accepting and non-judgmental. The Life and Afterlife of Gay Neighbourhoods: Renaissance and Resurgenceīy Prof.