The Displaced Queer
For the past week, we have spent a large portion of our in-class discussions talking about the displacement of communities and how these ethnic/racial groups have been forced into minuscule parts of major cities. You all know the rabbit analogy. The readings about the Plaza show that minority communities are pushed into small sectors of cities by groups in power. In these small communities, their culture flourishes in both positive and negative ways. Although people are able to practice their way of life in these places, they don’t necessarily get treated as equals by the rest of the city. Many times, these communities are treated like zoo animals or spectacles, only amplifying the issue of alienation, cultural appropriation, and racism. For example, Olvera Street is wonderful in that it allows for people of Latinamerican decent to enjoy the “staples” of their culture of origin. Are the things showcased on Olvera Street really the “staples” of Latinamerican culture, though? Also, isn’t it problematic that all Central American and South American cultures have been shoved into the tiny part of LA known as the plaza? Lastly, are people really going to go to Olvera Street to learn all they can about another culture, or are they just going to go in order to buy some fun and "exotic" merchandise?
I want to explore whether or not this segregation of communities extends beyond race and ethnicity. Does it apply to gender identity and sexuality? West Hollywood acts as the base to a large portion of the LGBTQ+ community in LA. With almost half of West Hollywood’s population identifying as LGBTQ+, it is clear that queer people have claimed WeHo as their home (https://www.wehoville.com/2018/02/09/just-gay-west-hollywood/). In WeHo, there are pride flags all over, many stores run by LGBTQ+ people, and the official Los Angeles LGBT Center. The largest pride event in LA is held in WeHo, further capitalizing on the idea that West Hollywood is the place to go if you want to immerse yourself in queer culture. The queer community does not make up a large portion of the California population (only 4.9%), so the fact that LGBTQ+ are able to be such a present part of WeHo makes me question a few things. Why is the LGBTQ+ community so condensed in West Hollywood? Is it because they have been displaced and forced into a small section of LA? Is it likely due to the fact that LGBTQ+ people want to be near other LGBTQ+ and chose to segregate themselves from the domineering culture that is heteronormativity? It’s no secret that a large portion of the homeless youth population in the United States is LGBTQ+ (https://www.hrc.org/blog/new-report-on-youth-homeless-affirms-that-lgbtq-youth-disproportionately-ex). How might the homeless population of queer youth play a role in solidifying WeHo as the queer center of LA?
What are the similarities and differences between the displacement of the LGBTQ+ community and the displacement of ethnic or racial groups?
Can a community displace themselves?
Is it always the privileged groups in power that force groups into segregation? It’s not like all the homeless queer youth in LA come from rich white families.
Is a place like West Hollywood similar to Chinatown in that it makes a spectacle out of a certain way of life?
In what ways does West Hollywood help LGBTQ+ people?
You don’t have to answer all the questions. I realize that I wrote a lot of questions. I’m just very curious.
Some articles to look into if you want some guidance for your answers:
I'm writing this first part having not read the suggested articles, because I want to get my thoughts down sans influence, but I'm going to add once I've looked through the links. I think a major reason there is a large queer presence in West Hollywood is because the age of people living in West Hollywood tends to be younger. The average age of people in West Hollywood is in the mid thirties, meaning a large percentage of people are younger than that. Studies have also shown that younger generations are the most openly queer when compared to any other generation. I had never thought about the presence of the LGBTQ+ community concentrated in certain areas as a forced or chosen segregation, I merely thought it was a function of the age and the generational outlooks of the communities. I think a community can displace themselves, because I think sometimes communities need to find their own spaces away from their oppressors. However, I don't view West Hollywood as that type of community. That being said, I don't know anything about the history of the area or how the queer community came to be so prevalent in WeHo, so these are just my preconceived ideas.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: I did some reading on the history of different groups in WeHo and it turns out.. "Meanwhile, dispossessed and underserved minorities, most notably gay, lesbian and genderqueer-identifying people, flocked to West Hollywood to escape the persecution they faced at the hands of the LAPD and other city departments." (https://www.visitwesthollywood.com/history-of-west-hollywood/)
DeleteThis brings up another question - why don't we learn about this kind of stuff? I wish I could have learned about police persecuting queer people because that definitely would have shaped both my initial response and my overall outlook on LA history.
Update, but a day later: I realized something. An initial flocking of queer people moving to west hollywood doesn't necessarily guarantee a continuation of queer people living there. "queer" as a trait isn't passed down genetically or even culturally to one's offspring in the same way that some racial markers and experiences are. I'm not really sure how this applies to what I said above besides the fact that my quote about queer people moving to west hollywood historically doesn't necessarily correlate to WeHo becoming a center of queer culture. Clearly there's something there, but it's not generated in the same way that racial groups living in one area tend to populate and thus become the majority of their area.
DeleteI think that the LGBTQ+ community is so condensed in West Hollywood because of the space it provides where pride in LGBTQ+ identity is very present and accepted by community members. I don't know much about the history of West Hollywood LGBTQ+ population; however, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason there's so many LGBTQ+ people in West Hollywood is because they have been displaced. Typically throughout history, people in power have oppressed and harassed minorities, in this case LGBTQ+ people, causing them to be displaced from their community. West Hollywood could be seen to serve as a refuge or safe space. I think a community can displace themselves. For example, maybe some people from a specific community decide they’d like to live in a different area because it provides them different aesthetics that could be weather or wildlife. However I think for the vast majority of cases, communities are usually displaced by other communities that have the societal power to take whatever they want. Many communities today throughout Los Angeles today are experiences displacement through gentrification and the rise of rents.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, as someone who identifies as queer, I am really glad that Aidan chose to explore a topic related to the queer community, a minority group that almost never is discussed in academic settings. I hope that this is not the only time queer issues/history is discussed in this class though, for LA would not be the LA it is today without its strong queer presence.
ReplyDeleteIn his blog post, Aidan alludes to an interesting (and somewhat daunting) question: Does segregation exist only on the basis of race/ethnicity? In other words, can communities be divided along the lines of gender and sexual orientation? My answer would be yes — yes, there can be gender-based and sexual-orientation-based segregation; however, I believe that these two types of segregation play out much differently than race/ethnic-based segregation. Indeed, there are many similarities between these seemingly disparate forms of segregation, arguably the most important one being the fact that you are surrounded by people who are similar to you. With similarity comes relation, connection, comfort, support, and, eventually, strength and longevity for the community as a whole. In the context of LA and the city of West Hollywood (WeHo), living in WeHo as a queer-identifying person can most certainly be a positive experience — simply because, by the numbers, you will never be alone in whatever queer-related struggles you might go through. However, if almost all of LA’s queer community is tucked away in WeHo, then how will society ever progress? How will heteronormativity be challenged if there are almost no queer people in the communities where heteronormativity is most present and most powerful? My thoughts on this topic are extremely scattered, but I think that in general, the process of normalizing queerness/LGBTQ+ identities will only come with integration into the larger straight/cisgender-dominated society.
I think that the LGBTQ+ community is so condensed in West Hollywood is both because they have been displaced and forced into a small section of LA and that LGBTQ+ people want to be near other LGBTQ+. This situation reminded me of the Chinese-Americans when they first immigrated to California. They resided in Chinatowns not only because they wished to be near their own who shared the same values and spoke the same language but also as a way of protection. Outside the Chinatowns they were unable to find jobs, housing, and even would be abused or harassed if outside their community. Having people like oneself always makes one feel more comfortable and more at home. It’s easier to be relaxed among people who you know experiences the same things you are going through or just understand and accepts you.
ReplyDeleteI did not know much about West Hollywood and its history before this, but based off of the information I learned from the articles provided it seems as if WeHo developed into a popular LGBTQ+ location and community for a variety of reasons relating to both the actions of LGBTQ+ people and outsider majority groups. Unlike the segregated areas caused by real estate restrictions and redlining, the formation of WeHo was much more underground. Yes, LGBTQ+ people were forced into a certain area based off of the terrible treatment and discrimination they faced but WeHo provided a relatively safe space where LGBTQ culture was able to develop and flourish naturally without the influence of outside entities. The area also didn't seem to be manipulated as much as other places to cause commercialization and tourism. One of the articles stated: "Visitors are assured a safe, welcoming urban environment that was built on the needs and interests of the community." The community seems to have formed itself and stayed true to itself. Although the area has become much more popular and tourist-y, it has consistently fostered a "culture of acceptance."
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not have any personal experience with the LGBTQ+ community in West Hollywood, this feels like a different type of segrgation that that of the Mexican American population and other ethnic minorities. It is often thought that people find their community with individuals with which they can identify. Shared experiences tend to bond groups and so it makes sense to me that people would want to live in an area in which they are accepted and understood. I also think that this “segregation” is likely due to discrimination and persecution of the LGBTQ+ community. In short, I think that perhaps this segregation was a way to escape persecution but also created a community in which many residents feel comfortable being themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think it is possible for a community to displace themselves. I think though, that it is possible for a community to purposefully distance themselves from the cause of conflict. Obviously there are many examples of people being driven away or forced out, but perhaps the LGBTQ+ community’s presence in West Hollywood was an attempt to remove themselves from the pain they may have felt living in other parts of the city. I can not say for sure if they were forced away, or if they chose to distance themselves, but I do think it is possible for a community to displace itself.
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ReplyDeletePeople apart of the LGBTQ+ community are unique in the sense that they are minorities but what makes them a minority can’t be identified by their skin tones. It was easy for White Americans to make everyone with brown skin go to a certain part of town, but with the LGBTQ+ community everyone apart of the community can’t be identified. Since LGBTQ+ members cannot be identified by their skin tone, I do not think that they have been forced into a small section of LA by the majority. I think West Hollywood is home for a lot of LGBTQ+ community members because LGBTQ+ members want to be around each other. It is common that minorities want to be around each other because it provides a sense of safety and comfortability. I think West Hollywood is similar to Chinatown because it serves as a safe place for a minority group, but based on my experiences I do not think the way of life in WeHo is made as much of a spectacle as the way of life in Chinatown. I have never heard of anyone going to West Hollywood to experience food that is specific to the LGBTQ+ community, but I could be wrong. Overall, I think West Hollywood provides the LGBTQ+ community with a safe place, but I do not think the separation of the LGBTQ+ community is too similar to the experiences of other minority groups.
ReplyDeleteOriginally, Olvera Street was an area for Latin Americans to possess a microcosm of their own cultures. Nonetheless, as we have discovered through our readings and trip to Olvera street, city officials later fashioned it to be a tourist location. While Latin American people living in Los Angeles can still derive a sense of home from Olvera street, there is no question that it is tailored towards tourists who simply want to experience the “good parts” of Latin American culture. While I don’t think it’s wrong to appreciate what another culture has to offer, I do believe it’s unacceptable to view someone else’s culture merely for your entertainment (like a zoo).
ReplyDeleteI believe there are some similarities between the way gender and ethnicity are treated in Los Angeles. While (in certain cases) I don’t believe being a minority gender is viewed with the same scrutiny as being a minority race, I see a correlation in the way they have been treated and “regulated” by the majority of Los Angeles. I think the LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles is so concentrated in West Hollywood due to the comfort of being around people with your same identity and beliefs. Moreover, it is possible that the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t feel safe in certain communities in Los Angeles. West Hollywood provides a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community similar to that of ethnic communities, yet I don’t believe there is/was anything to forcing them to be concentrated there.
I have very little knowledge of West Hollywood as a symbol of the LGBTQ+ in Los Angeles, so I’m basing this on the information I could gather from the articles you provided. I think that the clustering of LGBTQ+ in WeHo has less to do with LA as a society not wanting them to be scattered in other places and more to do with members of the LGBTQ+ community finding comfort (or safety, if you will) in numbers. Hence, once they found a place where they could thrive as a community, it led to the arrival of more and more people. The discrimination the community must have faced was likely terrible and scary at times, so having a place where they had the numbers was probably comforting. I don’t know all the details, but I don’t think Angelenos ever did anything as prominent as the Rabbit Analogy to the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, I think WeHo is different from places like Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Olvera Street because I don’t think people go to WeHo just to buy rainbow flags and feel like they are part of an “exotic” culture that they really aren’t a part of. I think that is something that is more easily done to racial/ethnic cultures and not necessarily communities that have to do with sexuality and gender. I think this is in part because it is “easier” and more accepted (rightfully or not) for people to pretend to be “so in touch” with Mexican, Chinese, or Japanese culture than with the LGBTQ+ community.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, I certainly think segregation based on sexual orientation can exist; time and time again, we have seen the LGBTQ+ community isolated or alienated based on government policy or fake news, and this discrimination can pave the way for the formation of false stereotypes and, ultimately, segregation. While other minority groups experience this same spreading of false information, there are some clear differences between race-based and sexual orientation-based discrimination. One difference is that the LGBTQ+ community may have to deal with judgement from their own family. To my knowledge, one of the driving forces behind the ongoing discrimination of queer-identifying people is religion (mainly Catholicism). The ideas preached from the Bible still seem to be branded in the minds of many, leading to parents turning on their own children and leaving youth with no home. This somewhat leads into why I think a community does have the ability to displace themselves— just as we discussed in class today how a neighborhood can gentrify themselves, a group of people can certainly band together and relocate. This creates a community that, simply because of the fact that most people can relate to each other in terms of LGBTQ+ related struggles, is accepting and supportive.
ReplyDeleteThe large concentration of LGBTQ+ people in West Hollywood is interesting, but I wouldn’t say that it's necessarily surprising. As one of the most liberal and accepting hubs in the entire country, it's not surprising that West Hollywood acts as a safe haven for any group that has faced marginalization or prejudice elsewhere, especially one that pretty much transcends background in all aspects. I think the grouping/clumping of LGBTQ+ people in West Hollywood is different from that of racial/ethnic groups elsewhere, though. West Hollywood, today, embraces its queerness, because, perhaps problematically, queerness is trendy and commercialized in pop culture. However, the foundation of West Hollywood as a queer community seems to have been of a different nature. One difference I see in the LGBTQ+ community of West Hollywood vs. in the displaced communities of color we’ve looked at is that queerness transcends ethnic, national, and economic backgrounds, while race-based communities inevitably intersect with these other identifiers in one way or another. Although I’m positive there are common queer experiences, I’d expect that the intersection of these identities manifests itself in different ways for communities of color and their respective limitations.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community is in fact more similar to religious discrimination than racial or ethnic profiling. Many individuals do not support the LGBTQ+ community due to their strong religious beliefs; often due to misinterpretation of sacred scripts. Due to this, I would argue that the discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community today is more closely related to the discrimination faced by the Jewish population prior to World War II then the racial discrimination we see today. Along with this, I think that West Hollywood provides the LGBTQ+ with a safe space or sanctuary where they are either the majority or surrounded by people supporting them. Because of this, it is a popular location for members of the LGBTQ+ community along with supporters of LGBTQ+ community.