Gay Cultural Landscapes

(Boystown, Chicago)

Jake Schafer Geography 188, Spring 2008

Boystown, Chicago
Periphery Core

The Model

From: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/cause.htm

The idea of a place gays could live openly and Boystown History: free of discrimination gay cultural mecca
- Didnt exist pre-Stonewall (1969) - Poor and extremely dangerous neighborhood controlled by Latin Kings - First gay bar in 1975

Little Jims

Boystown History:
- Didnt exist pre-Stonewall (1969)
- Poor and extremely dangerous neighborhood controlled by Latin Kings - First gay bar in 1975 - As society became more accepting of gays, urban revitalization began occurring

common pattern seen in every major city in the U.S.

The Model

From: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/cause.htm

Shopping, pampering, entertainment

The Model

From: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/cause.htm

Elements of gay landscapes

Rainbows Artsy Revitalized/revived buildings Many bars with suggestive names Sex
porn bookstores bath houses STDs

By day
Trendy shopping Advertisements Church (only one) Rainbows everywhere Revitalized buildings

On north side

By night
- Partying (many clubs/bars)

The Bars
- 17 bars in mile - All are gay themed - Suggestive names:
- Bobby Love - InnExile - The Upturned Stool - The Clinch

- Cellblock
- Sidetrack - Closet

- Maneuvers
- Dicks - BottomsUp

- Cock-tails

- Manhole

By night
- Partying (many clubs/bars) - Bookstores

Inside the bookstore

What kind of books???

By night
- Partying (many clubs/bars) - Bookstores - More of the sex market

Only one left ??? after 1994why?

By night
- Partying (many clubs/bars) - Bookstores - More of the sex market
the prostitutes have left the streets and are now online

Old-timer: You kids have it easy, the real pioneers were the grandfathers of this place. The people that moved in and fixed up what used to be a very unfriendly place. Of course its changing quite a bit again nowwe fix it up, and they move in. (referring to the heteros) Me: What do the founder of this place think of that? Old-timer: Oh, theyre all dead. There is only a handful of us left. The AIDS crisis in the late 80s hit us hard. There was a time when no one would leave their house for fear of catching it. No one knew how it worked, all we knew is everyone was getting sick and dying, and the hospitals didnt give a damn.

Summary

Gay liberation Surrounded by other gays Gay culture

Shopping Living in nice/cheep houses Being pretty Partying Sexing

From: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/cause.htm

Boutiques Revitalized houses/buildings Bars Sex market Everyone shitting rainbows

The End