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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

History Yet To Be Written

This essay now posted on Bilerico under the title "Standing with Queer 'Riff Raff'"


Once upon a time, a bunch of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and otherwise queer people liked to hang out in certain parts of town. The world looked down on them—and the most resentful of their presence were the respectable neighbors who lived nearby. Now "lewd and lascivious acts" (including gay sex) were against the law, but that didn’t stop people from frequenting cruising spots, gay clubs, and gay bars. Since they distrusted the police, they sometimes solved their disputes in less-than-healthy ways. They sometimes fought, often got drunk, took illegal drugs, had sex, and generally ran amuck in places where they made the neighbors feel uncomfortable, fearful, and even unsafe...


Be sure to read my other posts on this topic:
Working for Safety in Lakeview: 3 Suggestions
Safety Concerns Meet Racism in Lakeview? 
“Hoodlums and Thugs” in Boystown

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