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Capitol Hill’s lost ‘gay ghetto’ status

Here’s how Gay Matters describes the, um, maturation of Capitol Hill and other gay strongholds that, the blog says, have gone soft: This is what the Stranger said 10 years ago about the maturation of Capitol Hill:

Gay ghettos are slowly turning into gay retirement communities, where the only queers who can afford to live in the East Village, West Hollywood, San Francisco or on Capitol Hill are the ones who bought apartments and houses 20 years ago when they were still relatively cheap.  Young, straight singles have moved in, followed by straight retirees, marrieds, and young families.  With young queers forced to look elsewhere for housing, first-wave gay ghettos are on the decline, sapped of the energy and sex appeal of queer youngsters.  Such is the sad story of Seattle’s Capitol Hill & L.A.’s West Hollywood.

Turns out the Gay Matters post is a direct lift of the old Stranger article with an updated addition: The blog identifies potential new ‘gay ghettos’ including Pacific Northwest candidates Hilltop in Tacoma and Northeast Broadway in Portland. The Stranger original looked at Seattle for possible candidates, examining West Seattle, Columbia City and Ballard in the original article back in 1999.

The strange use of Stranger content is one thing but the re-posting of the idea brings up some points worthy of discussion. The gentrification of Capitol Hill is old news but both the article and the lift have a few assumptions floating around them that might be worth picking apart. Was the Stranger right back in ’99? Capitol Hill, many would say, is ‘less gay’ but is any other part of the city ‘more gay’ now? Can an area stay connected to its gay roots even if young gay people can’t afford to live here? Aren’t some of the young people who can afford to live here gay? Good ‘nuf if they just live nearby? Should we just call First Hill and Central District part of the Hill and move on? Sorry if the whole thing is confusing. We don’t have the answers, either.

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Swift Albero
Swift Albero
14 years ago

The idea that we use “Potential Public Sex Environment” locations as a selling point to decide which neighborhood we chose to live in is extremely offensive. As if all gay men want to do is have sex in public.

No one will put their foot down about this point because everyone has accepted it as the “norm” but I’m sick and tired of the general population seeing us as a bunch of perverts and sexual deviants.

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14 years ago

The way the “general population” sees you is a reflection of the image you project…

Swift Albero
Swift Albero
14 years ago

If by “you” you mean, gay people in general, and that we deserve this stereotype, then you’re an asshole.

If by “you” you mean, me personally, and that I should only be concerned with my own image, then I will take it as food for thought.

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14 years ago

Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Much like you have stereotyped me as an asshole because I said something you did not like to hear. Calling someone an asshole is not constructive when you don’t like hearing what they have to say. You brought the subject up not me. If you attend a parade on broadway you can see why this stereotype, generalization, or whatever you want to refer to it as exists.

While it is easier to blame others for your image, you do have control over it and can change it if needed.

Persecuted For Being In Love
Persecuted For Being In Love
14 years ago

Gay ghetto. That’s a clever description, but when you have to live your life in fear — even mortal fear — of dieing because of who you are, moving into a war zone doesn’t seem like a poor gamble because if you die, it will be a random event as opposed to being targeted and the years long, soul-crushing harrassment that goes along with it.

“Staying connected to its gay roots” is like longing for the old days of smashed in the face on a Saturday night because you weren’t traveling with friends.

Spare me the gauzy recollections of living on the Hill (or QA or Beacon) in the 80’s and beforehand as being a Protected Gay Harbor. Life was definitely yin-and-yang with fellowship and a substantial amount of understanding from the city dwellers tempered by the suburban attitudes that the dock and industrial workers had.

“Lost Ghetto” status is a reason for Capitol Hill to celebrate! Capitol Hill still retains the patina of “Where The Gays Live” but The Hill is the most diverse neighborhood in the nation. Seriously. I dare say that no other neighborhood in the nation — nay, the world — displays such a wide range of sexual, ethnic, and economic (where is the Ferrari dealership for the greater Northwest area located??) differences.

Gay and straights will never be the same. So it goes. But we have so much in common that the differences become almost invisible under close scrutiny. Unless you are a truly epic asshole.

Swift Albero
Swift Albero
14 years ago

I called you an asshole because you’re obviously someone who hasn’t taken the time to get to know enough gay people to see a spectrum of personalities, some who do but many who don’t fit into your predetermined image of them.

And by the way, I have never attended a Gay Pride Parade where there was sex occurring publicly.

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14 years ago

I am not obviously anything and you know nothing to make any assumptions about me or who I know. I think it is easier for you to direct your anger at me rather than address the problem you brought up.

This is exactly why the image you are so sick and tired of won’t change any time soon. You are unwilling to look at the issue you raised critically and do something about it. It is easier for you to complain about it and say the image issue is someone else’s problem.

I have no predetermined image. You were referring to the general population having that image. If you are concerned about the general population then you need to be concerned about the few that perpetuate that image with the general population.

BM
BM
14 years ago

When I lived in Cap Hill from ’06-’08 (as a young, single, straightie) most anyone who visited me called it one of the gayer neighborhoods they’d ever been in. Including folks that lived in the Bay Area and were very familiar with the gayer neighborhoods down there.

I wonder what a literal quantification of a neighborhood’s “gayness” would look like. Metrics?

Swift Albero
Swift Albero
14 years ago

You’re absolutely correct. My anger is directed towards you, because you’re justifying this predetermined image brought on by a small minority as a correct assessment of gay men in general:

The way the “general population” sees you is a reflection of the image you project…
Comment by —
1 day ago

Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.
Comment by —
23 hours ago

My image in this community is just fine, thank you. My conscience is clean, my peers always know where I stand, and my morals and ethics are intact. So how I conduct daily life is a perfect example of how I’m doing more than just “complaining.”