To the Editor of WeHo News:
I think your article on Obama and his appointments and homosexuals and the military (DADT) issue is about right. It has balance, which many media places do not -expecting change overnight from one view and fearing the end of the world if homosexuals are "open" in another view-sounding much like that "segment" did when Truman integrated the military in 1948 (and just as that "segment" did when the U S Supreme Court killed laws against interracial marriage (Loving v Va?) not many years ago.
And the article on "gay" Tucson was good, but I do wonder why there was no mention of any gay center, or the gay newspaper-which is usually the first resource visitors should get when in a new town so that they will know of current events and businesses. And a visit to a glbt library/archive will give history of the area, which helps to appreciate how the area is today. And some homosexual tourists will want to know where a local gay-friendly church is. Some people may even plan a visit during Pride events if they know the dates in advance, which they can find if the newspaper is online. Or a when a gay film festival is, etc. These are the things that make a gay traveler different from a non-gay one, otherwise we only need the travel guides found in any book store for all tourists.
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2 comments:
Billy, Tucson actually has (or had) a very strong community center -- Wingspan. I haven't been to Tucson in many years, so I don't know what's going on now, but Wingspan supported its community in Tucson very well for many years. I think it got its start after a gay man was killed outside a gay bar there around 1977. Tucson is definitely the liberal oasis in Arizona -- much more so than Phoenix, although that was coming around nicely by the time I left Phoenix in 2001.
Maybe I'm queer, but it would seem to me that this info should be in any travel story aimed at gay travelers. But apparently I'm alone. I guess visitors do not want to check out the center for info that might make their "gay" visit more enjoyable.
The times I've been in Dallas, or L. A. I went first to the gay center, got all the free publications, asked at the desk if there was any events going on, etc. That in fact helps the local gay businesses, which may not otherwise be known to visitors, or even local people.
I wonder if anyone ever buys a gay guide anymore, such as Damron, or the Gayellow Pages? Perhaps today people are internet savvy and seek info there. But it still helps to have a paper in your car that has the info.
And I would sure visit Gerber Hart if I got to Chicago, or ONE if I got to L A., etc.
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