DOES LIVERPOOL REALLY NEED A GAY VILLAGE?

James Whitelock | 10.11.2003 11:42 | Social Struggles | Liverpool

Liverpool is developing a gay village, but what will this really add to the lives of gay people in Liverpool? Gay villages began because of persecution, but I would argue that over time they have actually become oppressive rather than empowering. They have created a set of stereotypes for gay and bi people
(NOTE: NOT ALL GAY MEN JUST WANT TO CONSUME ALCOHOL AND GET LAID!)

DOES LIVERPOOL NEED A GAY VILLAGE LIKE MANCHESTER?

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IS SIMPLY MY INDIVIDUAL VIEW AS A GAY MAN. I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE SPEAKING FOR THE MAJORITY OF GAY PEOPLE

Liverpool is slowly in the process of developing its own gay village.One of the clubs is to be called 'Addictions'! However, I have to ask, does Liverpool need a gay village? Gay villages originally began because people were suffering persecution, so they were a refuge. However, I would argue that far from liberating me gay villages have simply created a set of stereotypes that I have to conform to.
Surely the end goal of gay liberation must be that gay or bi people can go into any bar /club/ shop /cafe, and that in each of these places gay people can be found.
I do not want to go to a 'gay' cafe bar for a coffee, then to a 'gay' hairdresser's to get my hair cut, then to a 'gay' estate agents when I need to buy a house. I want full freedom to go into any bar/ club / venue / cafe / shop/ hotel etc. I do not wish to be ghettoised and subsequently stereotyped.

NOT ALL GAY MEN WANT TO CONSUME AS MUCH ALCOHOL AS POSSIBLE AND THEN GET LAID!!!

WHAT I AM BASICALLY SAYING IS THAT THE MAIN CONCERN OF THESE BUSINESSES IS TO MAKE MONEY; THEIR PRIMARY CONCERN IS NOT THE WELFARE OF GAY AND BI PEOPLE. THEREFORE I BELIEVE THAT TRUE LIBERATION EXISTS OUTSIDE THE GAY VILAGES.

If anyone disagrees with me that is fine, but I have the right to voice my opinion.

James Whitelock

James Whitelock
e-mail: pompey36@hotmail.com

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

I agree

10.11.2003 11:49

Right on, Mr Whitelock.

Roll on the day when nobody gives a flying toss what you are or where you like to stick it.

This is also why the Prince Charles 'Bummergate' scandal is so irrelevant. Who cares what he gets up to?

Mad Monk

gay rights - an topic for indymedia

10.11.2003 12:16

Gay rights / queer rights / are not very often discussed on indymedia. The above article shows that there is a wide range of views as to what it means to be gay. Not much of these debates has entered the indymedia newswire. Is it significant that the first comment (by mad monk) proves profound ignorance? I hope not. Thank you for your article, James.

jab

Not ignorant

10.11.2003 12:57

Why exactly am I "profoundly ignorant"?

I was simply *agreeing with James* that gay people are, in the final analysis, PEOPLE and do not need to be patronised/ghettoised by right-on PC arseholes, or exploitative capitalists eager to rake in the "pink pound."

If you disagree - if you think that gay people shoul all huddle together in some "village" and stay away from us "reg'lar folks" (*JOKE*) - then that's fine.

But don't welcome the opportunity for debate on IMC and then, in the next breath, smear me as "ignorant". I'm not and such misrepresentation pisses me off.

An apology is unnecessary but an explanation for your knee-jerk condemnation (other than 'I'm a humourless PC leftie') would be appreciated.

Mad Monk

Space to be.

10.11.2003 15:48

Whilst I agree that gay people should not be in any ghettos,it's sometimes nice to be in
a place that is for LGBT persons. Whether that's a pub,club or a cafe. Many places
don't have anything,not even gay friendly places.We need,perhaps,to develop the latter-
gay-friendly spaces/places everywhere-to assist 'integrating',but also have some LBGT
places too.

I'm in the constituancy (lair) of arch-homophobe Michael Howard. Though there is a
bar that's mostly gay friendly (gay run). There is a need for something more than this
as not everyone like's that place.

Also,as Howard is now the Tory leader I hope to see more demos (pro gay or anything really) locally. There are hardly any activists in the area on anything.

Queen of Kent.

Demo's on anything

12.11.2003 01:31

I suspect that the word "anything" could be better replaced with the following:
"something which Howard is at the far right of the spectrum".
Michael Howard should face demonstrations about his views on many aspects of policy, and while LGBT issues might not be the best place to start, we shouldn't let that stop us.

I myself think that specific MP's need a good winding up from time to time. Demonstrations get rather lost in London, unless they are really big. But what about demonstrations in Sedgefield? How many people in Britain trully understand the enormity of the place in relation to British politics? Or rather, who's heard of it. When Blair goes home at the weekend, thats where we should be. And the topic? Anything which we disagree with Blair about.

(Sedgefield is in County Durham, within 2 miles of Jn60, A1M. Folkestone and Hythe are near Dover, at the far eastern end of the M20).

Demo On!!

Rebel W

Queer in Liverpool, but what do I know

12.11.2003 05:04

I don't know James, I tend to agree with you on the point of the "pink pound" and that gay villages are commonly used by corporate fuckwads to separate from our money and keep us drunk enough to be complacent, but Liverpool is not really a "safe" place to be gay, so I would like somewhere to go other than the Lisbon (to get gawked at by scallies - look at the lesbians, la!)on a Saturday night where I don't have to feel like I'm going to get jumped if I hold hands with my girlfriend or justify my existence to some drunk orange woman wearing far too little clothing. More than a gay village, Liverpool needs a gay community, that's inclusive of men, women, trans and two spirited people... unfortunately community tends to revolve around beer, far too often. But if that's all I can get, bring it on - though I do tend to feel pretty excluded by most queer venues - that whole over the top stereotypifying thing that doesn't even include me as a gender - 90% of it is geared towards gay men.

just a thought,
pi

TOLERANCE

17.11.2003 19:37

tHIS is BIG BROTHER at work trying to encourage us all to subliminally accept something which is not an hereditary condition.........Gays claim "I was born gay" yet no child newly born has any concept or notion of sexuality whatsoever...this is scientific fact....I feel that sooner or later that unless we are really alert the govt will start being taken over by gays who will start implemeting laws to discourage hetroesexuality,something I am particularly fond of by the way......notice recently how there are alot of "PRO-gay" programs about "gay couples in love" but anything that the ignoble media portrays about heterosexual relationships is riddled with pornography and or violence and or sensationalism take Hollywood movies by bruce willis,setting the example that straight people must kill hundreds to get the girl but gays are harmless and somehow funny and amusing....but lets go out and kill the terrorist enemy to impress that elusive blonde haired aryan bullshit stereotype zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
give me healthy loving straight reality anytime...
and get rid of those poppers

TAH

right

19.11.2003 15:14

gays taking over the government? get over yourself.

dan carkner