The Gay Ghetto is Dead. Long Live the Gay Ghetto.

Here we are at Monday again. The 35th Boston Pride is over and it was OK. The Parade itself was nothing special, but I had a good time (as I do every year) showing a newbie the event and making commentary on all the passers-by. My friend lived in San Francisco for 5 years and said that the parade there is wilder and more diverse. However, he found Boston's march of gay-friendly churches, schools, and politicians to be a refreshing change of pace. Tom Reilly (candidate for governor) didn't show up, by the way.

On the other hand, I found the choices of post-parade entertainment to be very lacking. The choices included sweltering block parties, a boat cruise (just not my thing), expensive club events, or even more expensive specialty events (most notably a $45 dance party at the Opera House). Even Paradise, which is usually free, was charging $5. My friends and I refused to go on principal. So, although I didn't get my groove on, I made different decisions which introduced me to other Pride events and venues I had overlooked before. Unity Pride (Boston's Black Pride) had some great events which I'm very happy to have attended. The opening ceremony was better attended this year than last, and the Gospel Brunch was nice to have attended as well. I didn't go to the Brunch last year, but it was interesting to be at a church service and have the pastor welcome "our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered brothers and sisters" and also give the podium to a representative of the Multicultural AIDS Coalition so that he could address the congregation. My favorite Unity Pride event, though, was the Art Slam. A few local and New York-based writers and spoken word artists presented their work, but the real treat was the fashion show. Two designers presented their work, one in a very traditional form, another through Afro-Caribbean music and dance. Both were beautifully presented and showcased very talented artists. And, of course, it was wonderful to see the gay and lesbian Black community and our friends and supporters all gathered together for a culturally good time.

Despite the mixed bag of entertainment on offer, I think this was a good Pride year and a good showcase of the Boston gay community. What got me thinking about Pride and evaluating it was a post found on LeftCenterLeft which bemoans the decline/loss of a gay ghetto in Boston. While I have noticed that the South End has become less and less the center of gay life in Boston, I can't say that I'm sad about that. Ghettos of any sort have a limited lifetime and are often places in which a majority group forces a minority group with limited power and resources to congregate and where that minority needs to find safety and protection. Twenty or 30 years ago I could understand the need for that kind of ghettoization of the gay community. Mainstream society was far different then and there was less understanding and acceptance of the gay community. But, fast forward to the present time. In Massachusetts, at least, gays and lesbians are very successful and influential members of the general community and have made great strides in demonstrating that our contributions and talents are as important as anyone else's. I don't see the need for us to be centralized anymore than any other healthy, mature community does.

Moreover, the lack of one centralized gay neighborhood has meant that the greater metropolitan area has become more gay-friendly. Years ago a "gay man" was a jeans and t-shirt wearing, pink triangle sign-carrying, South End-living, white male. Now it's cool seeing the Latino transvestites in East Boston, the homo thugs in Dorchester, the gay intellectuals in Cambridge, the lesbian earth mamas in JP, and the gay Black writers and artists in Roxbury. Worrying about the existance of a gay ghetto strikes me as waxing nostalgic over a period of time and a place which really wasn't a big deal to everyone. It's kind of like when some people reminisce about the good ole days of the Roaring 1920's. Sure, they were good for the fat cat industrialists who made tons of money, but for people denied voting rights, civil rights, and a host of other social amenities, the 1920's were nothing to reminisce about. I think the same applies to the gay social scene in Boston. Sure the South End had its role in making the gay community more appetizing and understandable to the wider community around it, but there were plenty of folks who still didn't find a place there. Gay Black folks still spent a lot of their time and money in social clubs in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Even now, occasionally I hear about gay Asians being turned away or given a hard time at Club Cafe. As a result, they've started their own social organizations and have their own events. This year marked the first Latino Pride in Boston too.

So, before we get too caught up in sentimentalities about the lack of a gay presence in one area, let's recognize the maturity and the growth of the gay community as a whole and enjoy its increasing diversification.

Comments

[Whit]

I think that you make some very fine points in your response to the LCL post--but I do not believe that anyone has ever been turned away from Club Cafe for being Asian.

[3rd Decade]

OK. "Turned away" may have been the wrong choice of words. However, I have heard both firsthand and secondhand from Asian and non-Asian men that they were given a hard time when they tried to get into Club Cafe, so much so that they decided to leave rather than press the issue. I've also read a petition by Asian patrons criticizing the staff at Club Cafe for what appeared to be prejudicial behavior on the part of the bouncers and Club Cafe's response. So, while "being Asian" may not have been the specific reason behind the incidents, Asian patrons are the ones who have reported the problem.

[Whit]

The adverb of frequency, 'occasionally', which you use gives the impression that this is an event which occurs habitually. Your post suggests that Asians are turned away because they are Asian. Are you suggesting that their Asian-ness has anything to do with them being harrassed or turned away--or that their Asian-ness is merely coincidental? I think that it is very important when making allegations such as you have to be very clear what it is that you mean. Crying wolf can prove to be counter-productive because when discrimination actually occurs . . .
I find Club Club a right bore so I have no real reason to defend the place, by the bye.

[3rd Decade]

Please reread: occasionally I hear about gay Asians being turned away or given a hard time

My hearing of the events happens occasionally. Nowhere have I made any guesses or statements as to why they were given a hard time or the duration of time in which this has happened. Your assumptions are yours alone.

As I tried to make clear in my first response, I reported what those involved told me. Whether you believe it or not is your choice.

[escargot555]

I have to agree with LeftCenterLeft that the lack of a gay "ghetto" really makes it difficult to meet new people here and to support gay-owned businesses and organizations. Compared with New York, Montreal, Washington DC, etc. this is a very dull and unfriendly place for a gay person. But you're right that the old South End ghetto (and the old Boston gay community in general) was riddled with racism. If gay bars and organizations had been more inclusive then, they might have built up a stronger clientele and have lasted longer.

[zed]

I agree with your points on the "ghetto" as well - it's demise is a sign of progress, but of course many of us will remember it as the "good old days" anyway.

As for the entertainment that is available on Pride, I think it is unfair to bemoan the high ticket prices for the clubs on that night. The fact is that many gay clubs have seen a drop off in attendance and Pride weekend is a very important weekend financially for them. All the clubs raise prices and are still packed, so this is one night that the demand is there and the clubs need to take in what they can - the weeks following Pride are often dreadfully slow as people flee for summer rentals. This weekend help pays the bills for many of these clubs.

I also find is impossible to believe of anyone being turned away from Club Cafe for being Asian - though it would be wrong to pass the place off as some kind of diverse establishment. Fact is, it is patronized mostly by upper class white men and women. But then again, Boston's gay community is the same as the rest of Boston - segregated. You don't see the black and white crowds mixing, and the crowds also segregate themselves by age. Notice my language though - they "segregate themselves" the bar owners don't seek to segregate the crowds - but crowds just don't want to mix that much. Even you point out that you enjoy "Unity Pride" - great - now we can slice ourseIves up by race at Pride as well - and you seemed to enjoy that event, so you don't seem to have a problem with the self segregation. I could write a long time about this, but I've said enough already.

[3rd Decade]

Zed, first of all, feel free to continue whatever point you'd like to make. The floor is open.

Second, Unity Pride is not a segregated event. Unlike many of the other Black Prides around the country which are held weeks apart from the city's main Pride, Unity Pride is held at the same time as Boston Pride. None of the Black Prides or their events are exclusively reserved for Black people. Yes, they are organized by members of the Black community but everyone is welcome to attend. Yes, I had a great time at Unity Pride, but I also enjoyed my time at Boston Pride. A lot of the Black folks I know attended both Pride events. Did you? In fact, how many non-Black gay folks do you think attended or made an effort to attend the Unity Pride events? "Self-segregation" works both ways. The Unity Pride schedule was listed in Bay Windows and there was a booth at the festival so it's not as though it was a secret kept in the Black community.

The same applies to Latino Pride. Boston had its first one this year at the end of May. I missed those events, but I plan on going next year. Are you suggesting that the Latinos shouldn't have started one? Or what about the floats in the parade? The Black folks, the Asian folks and the Portuguese-speaking community all had floats. Was it a bad idea for those groups to exhibit their visions of gayness and how to have fun in their communities?

Do I really need to go into the whole race vs. culture thing? And, given that LeftCenterLeft and I got started on this by discussing our viewpoints on community and how dispersed we - as the gay community - are in this region, why is it so unsettling when people of the same cultural/historical background get together to celebrate in a particular way? Would it have been more palatable if we had Unity Pride during Black History Month instead?

[zed]

Of course Unity Pride isn't exclusive to Black people - just as Club Cafe isn't exclusive to White People - but everyone knows who is expected to be found at each place.

The point I want to make is that I see comments here and elsewhere that seem to blame the bar owners or Pride commitee for the fact that the clubs and parties are very segregated by race and class, but the fact is it is the patrons themsleves who choose not to be with each other. I think that is an admission we have to make. No one is turning away minorities at Club Cafe and no one at Unity Pride is turning away white people. It is just true that the crowds would rather be with people that are just like them, and not too much different. While I accept this as a fact of life, it seems sad that we cannot transcend this during Pride.

So if you are going to enjoy events that are clearly meant for one race or group, you can't at the same time be upset to find others also enjoying events or bars that cater to one race or group. If you embrace the idea of Latino Pride in May, who should be surprised to find that when June comes around the celebrations tilt towards being white and upper class? I think this stuation is a reflection of Boston's sad history of segregation - and the inability to move past it. When I go to Pride in NY, the crowd is much less segregated - so I ask, should we be trying harder to move towards that, or are we just giving in to the tendency of Boston folks to want to be with their own - and is it bad for us to be doing that?

[3rd Decade]

Given that the Unity Pride organizers, for example, made an effort to publicize to the wider community and that you wrote that "no one at Unity Pride is turning away white people," I don't understand how you would come to the conclusion that these events "are clearly meant for one race or group." Unity Pride is not "meant for" the Black community and no one in the Black community speaks of it in those terms. However, it is organized with cultural and historical references from the Black experience included. Nevertheless, some of the participants and the attendees at the events were Asian, Latino, and white. That would suggest to me that the cultural aspect of Unity Pride is significant, not race.

As for NY Pride, are you so sure that it's the melting pot you imagine or do the sheer numbers of people give that impression? I've been to NY Pride as well and see the same divisions, just on a greater scale. NYC, by the way, has a Black Pride, too, as do most of the biggest American cities. For some people, the inclusion of cultural heritage is an important part of celebrations.

[A]re we just giving in to the tendency of Boston folks to want to be with their own - and is it bad for us to be doing that?
You tell us. Since you knew that Unity Pride was open to the public, what kept you from attending? Is it bad that you did that? Not to mention that there are large numbers of gay people here who are not from Boston. If they're participating in the same pattern of self-segregation then that would suggest that this pattern is not unique to Boston.