Comment of the day: The comfort of a community

… Of course, I don’t think most gay people care who moves into our ‘hoods as long as they don’t make us take down the risque photos of half-naked men in our store windows. Unlike some of the people in this video, my motivation for wanting boystown to stay gay isn’t really out of any dislike for straight people. It’s mainly because if I’m surrounded by other gay folk, I’m less likely to get the crap beaten out of me for being the only guy walking home at night who looks gay. I doubt the Puerto Ricans are afraid the yuppies are going to beat and mug them if their numbers dwindle, but perhaps they would argue that they’re being robbed in another sense as property taxes and rent go up.

In the end, I don’t care what color the people are in my neighborhood as long as I feel that I can be myself and that I’m safe. Unfortunately, I haven’t found poor minorities (or poor people in general) to be very gay friendly. So, I guess I’m stuck looking at places in Lakeview and fighting the good fight to keep out those Lincoln Park breeders with their Range Rovers and screaming kids. I’m all for fair housing laws, but where is the law to keep those brats from ruining my right to an evening of sushi and overpriced cosmopolitans without a crying baby at the next table?

Commenter Danny, drawing some parallels between his choice to live in Boystown and the desires of some Humboldt Park residents to prevent gentrification in their own neighborhood.