the gay district

[robertg97]

[FONT=Verdana]According to the US Census, as published in the Seattle Times, SF's population is 15.4% mix of gay, lesbian, (and) bisexual. With a total population of approximately 809,000 people, this computes to about 124,500 people with these sexual anomalies living in the City. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]The next highest concentration is supposed to be just north of SF, in Seattle WA with 12.9%, although when I calculated the percent based up on the population and the number of gays cited in their article I got barely 10% (57,900 out of a population of just under 600,000). Someone's math is off. Now I wonder if the report for SF has also been inflated - for some reason. If it is, then 15.4 percent is too high. Certainly it is no where near 40%.[/FONT]
Source -[url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003432940_gays16m.html]The Seattle Times: Local News: 12.9% in Seattle are gay or bisexual, second only to S.F., study says[/url]

[Francois]

...this computes to about 124,500 people with these sexual anomalies living in the City.

"sexual anomalies??

Anyway, there will never be agreement on the number of gay/lesbian/GLBT people in any area, because it's not something you can easily measure. Too many gay people are deeply closeted and would never tell a "census taker" that they were gay, or they might well even be (heterosexually) married, and would certainly not risk their spouse/family finding out (Check Craigslist sex hookup postings for how many "MWM"--married white men--are looking for guys to hook up with. Do you think their wives have any clue??). Also, there is not even agreement within the gay community as to what means someone is "gay". While most use the "attraction" criteria (i.,e. you are primarily sexually attracted to your own sex), others claims that you aren't gay unless you are actually "practicing" gay sex (I have to wonder if they believe you aren't heterosexual unless you are "practicing" straight sex acts, too?) or other criteria based on 'actions', not 'attractions'.

Thus, gay people will always be underreported in surveys, especially those in areas where gay people still face harassment or discrimination. Being honest with a survey taker isn't worth losing your job or your home over.

But back to San Francisco--its longterm reputation as "the most accepting city in the US for gay people" has caused gay people from everywhere to flock there, so it wouldn't surprise me if the statistics in the city were 4 or 5 times the average % of GLBT folks in the general population. Just as other places (rural Oklahoma, or Utah, e.g.) are going to be far LESS than average (because gay people get the #%$@# OUT), San Francisco is going to have a much higher than average number.

[matt345]

Originally Posted by Francois

But back to San Francisco--its longterm reputation as "the most accepting city in the US for gay people"

Only problem with that conclusion is that SF isn't in Massachusetts, it's located in California, the proud home of Prop. 8.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Prop 8 was not like some type of be all or end all for making this area gay friendly. It actually has had very little real impact either way unless you get into some more extraordinary legal situations having to do with complicated estate and succession planning. Of course, those things will eventually be addressed, one way or another, with or without Prop 8 and future tries of a similar nature.

[Puddy4LyF]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

You make them sound like an attraction at the zoo, LOL.

::transmission:: six gays were seen walking southwest on Market Street near Castro ::end transmission::

They've escaped!

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

According to the American Community Survey in 2005, the number of gay, lesbian, and bisexual residents in the City of San Francisco is estimated at 94,234, or 15.4% of the city.

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinst...dglbpopacs.pdf

According to The Gay and Lesbian Atlas, the San Francisco ZIP code with the highest concentration of same-sex couples is 94114, which covers the Castro District.