GAYBORHOOD

LGBTQ people of color, women, and transgender people often feel unwelcome and unsafe in Gayborhood spaces.

1A The Gayborhood is a geographical area, which links businesses, non-profit organizations, and places of public accommodation. Although the expectation is a “safe space” for all LGBTQ people, many people of color, women and transgender individuals experience racism, prejudice and discrimination in these spaces.

1B Most Gayborhood businesses are owned by white, cisgendered, males who create preferable environments for white, cisgendered, male patrons.

1C Transwomen of color are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, harassment, and physical violence.

“Wealthy white gay men see the Gayborhood as a place to start a business and earn revenue, but forget that this is a place that people got to escape homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and yes, even racism to discover that it’s not just alive here, but thriving.” G. Graves

“Every bar is owned by a white gay cisman. This is a clear indicator of severely entrenched systemic racism.”

“My experience of discrimination in the Gayborhood relates to being a lesbian in settings that mostly cater to gay men (specifically, white gay men). As a woman, my partner and I, our friend, have experienced feeling invisible in bars – specifically at Woody’s and iCandy – and have watched on multiple occasions men who came up to the bar after us, get served before us. This happens so often that if I happen to be out with some gay male friends, we will ask them to order our drinks for us because we know they will get served before we do. Unfortunately, with no lesbian bars remaining in the city right now, lesbian/queer women have to go to places like iCandy and Woody’s if we want to be out in a LGBT “safe” space, though we often do not feel welcome there and experience a different league of service than our gay male friends.” Submitted by Anonymous