[SurfOmaha]

Originally Posted by laserdisque

I think that a smaller less touristy version of Provincetown on Cape Cod would be cool. It should have gay friendly cafes and shops with a very pedestrian feel.

I like that idea. We could call Omaha's gay district The Gay Market. It be a nice setpiece with a location called the Old Market, don't you think?

I'd also like to see some type of Gay Museum be another anchor where ever it ends up being built.

I can see it now, come to Omaha's Gay Market, with an event center and a glbt museum, retail and living space, don't forget the pink neon lights!

[kdbrich]

Does anyone not see it relevant to the discussion to question the need for a "gay district"?

[SurfOmaha]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

Does anyone not see it relevant to the discussion to question the need for a "gay district"?

Hey, if you don't want to talk about a gay district then don't! No one is forcing you, too! Unlike people who believe marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman, who are forcing gays and lesbians to not marry each other. This is the Gay District in Omaha thread, so we will discuss it.

Who else has some ideas about a gay district?

[Filet Mignon]

Some time ago, I remember SurfOmaha (wherever he/she went) touting a Gay Rights March/Parade, to be held on January 10th. It was going to be a colossal affair that brought the city to its knees - or something like that.


Well, this afternoon I was driving though downtown Omaha with my daughter, and I saw this Gay Rights Protest. There were 8 or 9 people standing on the corner of 14th & Farnam, on Gene Leahy Mall, holding signs.

It's odd to me that something that was supposed to be so huge turned out to be so, well... nothing. My daughter didn't even see it.

So this has me wondering about some things.

1. If you want to make a public statement, you probably shouldn't use pastel colors to write on your posters. They're not readable.

2. Where were all the gay-rights people? We're constantly told that 10% of the population is gay/lesbian. Omaha itself - not counting the surrounding metro area - has a population of close to half-million people. Shouldn't that mean that there are at least 50,000 gays here, just in Omaha itself? Where were the other 49,991 protesters?

3. Is it possible that people just aren't that concerned - and that that is not a bad thing? These protesters did not seem to be behaving rudely in any way at all. There also were no counter-protesters. No police. Just kind of a "Ho Hum, Whatever..." sort of affair. Maybe there's just not as much hatred as we've been led to believe.



Interesting.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Filet Mignon

Some time ago, I remember SurfOmaha (wherever he/she went) touting a Gay Rights March/Parade, to be held on January 10th. It was going to be a colossal affair that brought the city to its knees - or something like that.


Well, this afternoon I was driving though downtown Omaha with my daughter, and I saw this Gay Rights Protest. There were 8 or 9 people standing on the corner of 14th & Farnam, on Gene Leahy Mall, holding signs.

It's odd to me that something that was supposed to be so huge turned out to be so, well... nothing. My daughter didn't even see it.

So this has me wondering about some things.

1. If you want to make a public statement, you probably shouldn't use pastel colors to write on your posters. They're not readable.

2. Where were all the gay-rights people? We're constantly told that 10% of the population is gay/lesbian. Omaha itself - not counting the surrounding metro area - has a population of close to half-million people. Shouldn't that mean that there are at least 50,000 gays here, just in Omaha itself? Where were the other 49,991 protesters?

3. Is it possible that people just aren't that concerned - and that that is not a bad thing? These protesters did not seem to be behaving rudely in any way at all. There also were no counter-protesters. No police. Just kind of a "Ho Hum, Whatever..." sort of affair. Maybe there's just not as much hatred as we've been led to believe.



Interesting.

Great observations: I do not think those of us who question SurfOmaha and a few others are gay bashers or haters. Too many like Surf think if someone doesn't agree with him/her we must be haters..This simply isn't the case, we just realize there are ways to make a point without being over bearing.

Nita

[Filet Mignon]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Great observations: I do not think those of us who question SurfOmaha and a few others are gay bashers or haters. Too many like Surf think if someone doesn't agree with him/her we must be haters..This simply isn't the case, we just realize there are ways to make a point without being over bearing.

Nita

Right.

Like I said, the few people who were "protesting" on the corner seemed perfectly civil, happy and non-confrontational. I don't know, but I'm assuming they may have had some literature to hand out, had anybody stopped to talk.

Somehow I can't help but think that, though they were very few in number, they might actually have done more for their cause than some of these huge groups of angry, confrontational, aggressive in-your-face flaunters.


It just struck me as interesting, and I'm still kind of brooding over it.

[DTO Luv]

You must have driven by very early. At the height of the event there were about 40 people there. Channel 3 and 42 covered the event.

[Filet Mignon]

Originally Posted by DTO Luv

You must have driven by very early. At the height of the event there were about 40 people there. Channel 3 and 42 covered the event.

I drove by at about 4:30 PM.

But even so, is 40 really a very good turnout? I mean, even that number means that there are apparently tens of thousands of homosexuals that didn't care enough to be seen and heard.

[DTO Luv]

Well the event got done around 1:30 so I don't know what it was you were seeing.

There can always be a bigger crowd but it was very cold today and no matter what the issue it can always be a struggle to get people to show up for any kind of political event. It's one thing to complain, it's another to go out and do something about it.

Also some people I talked with about going don't feel like they can be "out" in Omaha/Nebraska which is sad.

[smithy77]

Maybe the turnout was small because Omaha can still be a very conservative, hostile, fearful, closeted community when it comes to anything gay. Many gay people like myself left long ago for greener pastures in more accepting places than Omaha. This may be changing, I hope, with the under 30 crowd in Omaha. Civil rights have never been granted to any group of people in this country who 'sat down and behaved'. Sometimes you have to make some noise to be heard. That's just part of American history, whether you like it or not.