LGBT scene in Los Angeles

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by wehotex

It's a very interesting topic. What else did your friends say? Please keep posting.

That was mostly it. It was basically just that there are certain gays in high places that cater more to big business, developers and politicians. Essentially that they're trying desperately to break into the mainstream and in doing so are selling out and just trying to fit straight norms into gay life. Like not only gentrifying the neighborhoods to fit straight America's standards but trying to gentrify gay life/culture. Trying to dictate what that constitutes. That makes some gays feel like they'll always have to be on the defensive about being gay because the A-Gays are almost saying that straight people are the neutral sexual orientation so in order to be accepted into the mainstream gays have to adapt to straight norms; the family, marriage, monogamy, corporate rat race, etc. In other words the activist gays hate the politics of acceptability. It's the difference between that old school gay liberationist movement vs the new school acceptability movement.

I really hope I am not butchering what he was saying but it was really good stuff.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

That was mostly it. It was basically just that there are certain gays in high places that cater more to big business, developers and politicians. Essentially that they're trying desperately to break into the mainstream and in doing so are selling out and just trying to fit straight norms into gay life. Like not only gentrifying the neighborhoods to fit straight America's standards but trying to gentrify gay life/culture. Trying to dictate what that constitutes. That makes some gays feel like they'll always have to be on the defensive about being gay because the A-Gays are almost saying that straight people are the neutral sexual orientation so in order to be accepted into the mainstream gays have to adapt to straight norms; the family, marriage, monogamy, corporate rat race, etc. In other words the activist gays hate the politics of acceptability. It's the difference between that old school gay liberationist movement vs the new school acceptability movement.

I really hope I am not butchering what he was saying but it was really good stuff.

Well, the Weho city council is suspect. They've had the exact same council members for years, who take turns serving as mayor for the city. I read sometime back that there was some controversy and they were trying to elect some new blood. I'm not sure if that ever succeeded.

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by wehotex

Well, the Weho city council is suspect. They've had the exact same council members for years, who take turns serving as mayor for the city. I read sometime back that there was some controversy and they were trying to elect some new blood. I'm not sure if that ever succeeded.

Yeah these activists had nothing but bad things to say about the WeHo council. That the majority not all are really corrupt and bought off by developers. Even WeHo residents know how suspect their council is.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Wow it's wild to think that with all the gay rights issues at the moment that some of the actual complaints gay people have about their own community would also be addressed. I think homeless LGBT consitute something like a quarter of the overall homeless youth population, possibly more even. That's a lot. They kicked out of their homes or leave because of a hostile environment and go to places like the Castro in SF, Chelsea in Manhattan and WeHo and are usually priced out or the lack of homeless shelter space. With all the development going up in these places affordable housing initiatives are lax and shelters are the first on budget cuts, but the condos still keep rising.

One article I read about the Castro in SF stated that there were even proposals to move the homeless youth out that were on their streets! That's messed up.

Sorry for the rant ya'll but I recently hung out with some gay activists from the Silver Lake/Echo Park area. They really informed me on a lot of the inner battles going on within the LGBT community.

WeHo is at least half straight now, and is adjacent to Beverly Hills, so of course people will gentrify it quickly. The poor LGBT youth live in (East) Hollywood or Koreatown, so what's wrong with that?

It just happens to be the gay area in LA is a wealthy area. In some cities like Las Vegas, the gay area is lower income.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

WeHo is at least half straight now, and is adjacent to Beverly Hills, so of course people will gentrify it quickly. The poor LGBT youth live in (East) Hollywood or Koreatown, so what's wrong with that?

It just happens to be the gay area in LA is a wealthy area. In some cities like Las Vegas, the gay area is lower income.

I don't think that the original idea of weho was to be a city where only the wealthy could live. Just look at the eastside of weho, all russian immigrants living in subsidized housing. I'm surprised that the city council hasn't found a way to evict them and build some more condos.

[BarcelonaFan]

Exactly. The original intent of the city of WeHo was to be a haven for the LGBT and they championed progressive policies and affordable housing. Things have changed a lot apparently.

[disgruntled la native]

WeHo is a chunk of prime real estate, situated between Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Its progressive origins could never last when the wealthy want to live and buy there. So the working class were pushed further east into East Hollywood and Koreatown. That's life.