Saving the Gayborhood

Local business owners and politicians are debating whether to in West Hollywood, causing quite a stir. Chicago's objections notwithstanding, opponents of the designation are missing the point.

Calling the neighborhood "Boystown," some say is a a slight to the very presence of women.

Others still want to name it "Historic Boystown" to indicate that while it may have once been "Boystown," it is now welcoming and accepting of everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, in order to accomodate heterosexuals who may not feel welcome.

Doing so would be a colossal mistake for our city.

During the closing days of the March election, a New York Times article sparked a debate about whether West Hollywood remained an intrinsically "gay" city anymore. In response, Councilman John Heilman told London's Daily Mail that we can't be the gay city we once were: "'I wish I could be 24 again. But that's just not reality."

As a candidate for City Council, I was reminded just how special West Hollywood is to the gay and lesbian community of America.

We are the only City that was founded as a "gay city," and it is our obligation to gays and lesbians across the nation to retain that in our DNA.

This past weekend, I was reminded of how important it is that we have safe spaces, and of the dangers of mixing homosexuals, heterosexuals and alcohol. The Log Cabin (gay Republican) convention was held this past weekend in the same hotel as the Notre Dame alumni hosted football coach Brian Kelley, the Heritage Foundation hosted Texas Governor Rick Perry and the United States Marines Corp hosted a training event.

On Friday night, a handful of Log Cabin members decided to take a nightcap in the hotel bar after returning from the Round Up. One member of the party--who has chosen not to publicly make an issue of the event--went to the bar to get drinks. When he returned to the table, one of the Marines followed him, and attacked him from behind, smashing his head into his cocktail glass.

The hotel refused to do much of anything, and when the Dallas police were called in, the officer questioned the assailant then told the victim, "He says you whistled at him." When asked about pressing charges, one law enforcement officer responded, "This is Texas."

The whole incident reminded those of us from the coasts—DC, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles—that not only is there still discrimination in this country, but that assault and battery of gays and lesbians is tolerated.

We need a safe space—a space to call our own—where gays can be as gay as they want without fear or inhibition.

That was West Hollywood, and I believe we should fight to keep that place West Hollywood. Call it "Boystown" or the "Gayborhood" or whatever you want, but fly the Rainbow flag unapologetically and declare the space our own.

But if someone doesn't feel comfortable coming to a gay neighborhood, then I'm not comfortable being around them. I'd rather they not come at all than feel as if we need to change ourselves to accomodate others' insecurities.