Comments on: Does Hampton Roads Have A Gay Neighborhood?

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:49:12 +0000

You have one: Corner Pocket.

By: Celia

Celia — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:28:10 +0000

Ghent is awesome! everyone gets along no matter what you “are”. As a ghent native i feel that everyone is pretty much equal and content :) i’ve never seen someone give the stink eye to gays holding hands or the jews walking to temple! just friendly hello, how are you’s?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:24:33 +0000

ill make my speach simple and short , please build us a gay club in newportnews va ,, me and my lover has been together for 10 years , and we tell everyone we know wer very gay and so happy ,, but we have no gay friends , so please build us a bar ,, and we thank you …jerry /frank newportnews va ,,,

By: James F

James F — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:26:08 +0000

The author of this article doesn’t make a valid point about Hampton Roads “needing” a place for Gay people to hang out. I live in Ghent, and I’m not gay, but I don’t have a serious issue with the large number of gay people that live here – in fact, I rather enjoy the diversity in both age, race, sexual orientation, etc.

What I do have a problem with is the concept of gay people segregating themselves off into a corner of H. Roads to live by themselves in their own little “gay heaven” as you call it. It’s gays like you that aren’t helping your cause – integrating with the other 90% of society might make people more accepting of you, rather than creating a neighborhood that’s known as the “gay community”.

Have your gay parades, your gay rallies, whatever it is that you want to have to enjoy your gayness – but when you take over a corner of the town and segregate yourselves, it’s just opening yourselves up to hate crimes when people feel like you consider yourself too good to live with those silly heteros – and then label yourselves! I don’t put straight pride stickers or flags on everything I own to mash the fact that I like pussy into everyone’s faces – I just accept the fact that I’m hetero and some of my friends are gay rather than making it the defining feature in who I am.

By: Manecdote

Manecdote — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:24:34 +0000

As Richard Florida in his book (The Rise of the Creative Class: Why Cities Without Gays and Rock Bands are Losing the Economic Development Race) says, the theory is that tolerant communities, where homosexuals are likely to reside, nurture an open-minded culture of creativity -which of course prompted Steven Corbett’s hilarious statement (on his Comedy Central show)- “can lead to innovations like Google, or YouTube, or ShirtlessHunksBaggingGroceries.com”…but also better neighborhoods, more restaurants, stores and gentrification, not to mention real estate values!

By: Manecdote

Manecdote — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:51:01 +0000

I guess is called “Out” in the Park….? Oi, I rest my case!

By: Manecdote

Manecdote — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:49:02 +0000

We are EVERYWHERE! People here just don’t wear it on their sleeve…I don’t like, nor would I ever put a rainbow flag on my window -remember, we are supposed to be the ones with “good taste”- on the other hand, I do feel comfortable in both Ghent and downtown where we live walking side by side and kissing my boyfriend -not a total display of affection just you know, bye honey; love you….see you later kind of kiss. It comes down to feeling comfortable with ourselves; our younger neighbors across town couldn’t care less if my beau and I are queer, the come to our place, we get invited to theirs, we all party together. I found having a so-call “Pride in the Park” far out in fucking Chesapeake (no offense, but it would ne nice to walk to these events) and surrounded by cops downright disrespectful, the Pier party on the other hand does show that while surrounded by lots of diverse, straight characters we are very out there and demonstrative of our feelings with friends and loved ones. I know is out in the Bay, but is not exactly hiding… too bad is just a couple of times during the summer. We should start organizing events (gay night at the Naro?, brunches at The Green Onion or Pasha?, a gay street fair in the Norfolk bars area?)Snap out of the stupor Virginias and take back the city; fags united will rule!

By: AnyanJones

AnyanJones — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:31:19 +0000

Being a straight female who just moved here from Dallas…I miss the hell out of the gayborhood! I have wondered on more than one occasion “Where are all the gays??”. I am so glad that I am not alone in this sentiment. On the other hand I am also glad that so many people don’t feel the need to advertise their life choices… just as long as it is because they feel comfortable in their own skin and don’t feel that they have anything to prove, and not because they are afraid of other people’s reactions to their lifestyle. Hopefully in time (and with a little awareness started by your blog) there will be a place to mingle and mix and be G…A…Y!!! And maybe I will even see you there soon:)

By: davidlee

davidlee — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:49:49 +0000

There exists a host of reasons that this rare dynamic didn’t come to fruition in Norfolk (which has always been the most metropolitan of the so-called “7 Cities”, and was the only place this could possibly have happened) – economics, population density, urban renewal, racial divisions, conservative politics, the Navy, and AIDS, to name some of them. It also comes down to timing.

Ghent’s what you’ve got – make the best of it.

btw – “Ghent doesn’t have a gay pride parade or festival”??? NORFOLK doesn’t have a gay pride parade, and our pride “festival” is held in Chesapeake City Park, which is something of a step up from being held way in the back of Lakewood Park, but is nothing like being held in Town Point Park. Maybe Hampton Roads Pride needs to work on that before it goes about taking over a whole neighborhood. ;-)

By: Patrick Mullins

Patrick Mullins — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:28:37 +0000

For what it’s worth, I feel pretty comfortable in Ghent. It might not be the Castro, but I don’t know if I want to live in that neighborhood. I’ve lived in the gay ghetto in other cities, and it has its place. But, I like Ghent. In fact, the diversity of Ghent is exactly what I like. Gay and Straight. Military and Civilian. Jewish and Mormon. Black and Asian. Million dollar homes and Apartment Dwellers. All side by side watching their Dobermans and Chiwawas play in Stockley Gardens.

(pause to sing “We Are the World” here)

And I often hold hands with my boyfriend. On the street. In a restaurant. At the Naro. You should too. And I like the idea that we are slowly growing post-gay. Post-labels, if you will. In whatever tiny way. That’s my hope. I love that who I am is defined by way more than who I sleep with. I’m just me. And I engage in PDA. In Ghent.