When Robert and I, along with our friends Jeff & Corie, visited Venice, I wanted to spend time roaming around the original Ghetto, the very place where the name came from. It was an enclave of Jewish people who had been compelled to live in a particular area by the Venetian Republic. I was out of luck however, because it was a Saturday and everything was closed for Shabbat.
Forced segregation is one thing, but many different types of people purposely choose to congregate and live in a particular area. There is power in numbers, and being surrounded by people who are similar to you can be empowering and safe.
Back in the 1970's, the city of Washington D.C., our nation's capital, was predominately black. It reached a pinnacle of 71% black just before the 80's came. One area that was probably closer to 90% is the H Street area. In recent years the population has shifted and now whites have taken a slight majority at 51%. H Street is changing. The lower income levels of the population along the street has made for ripe pickings when it comes to cheap property. Recently the city tried to pass ordinances for H Street that would ban chicken wings (because they presumably draw rats and choke dogs) and would remove hair salons from future financial development funds. To most people these two proposed ordinances were racially motivated.
The city has also targeted this area for much development including new sidewalks, decorative street lamps and new street cars. The increased development meant the existing store owners' property taxes increased dramatically. Also, many of the property owners were charged "frontage", meaning they had to pay a fee for every foot of property along the street. These sudden fees and taxes have driven many stores to close. On the other hand nearly twice as many new stores have cropped up along the burgeoning way. Some of the older residents are pointing to these new stores and noting the lighter color of the new store owners' skins. Many older residents bemoan the loss of the familiar neighborhood they grew up in, or raised families in.
It provokes thoughts regarding racism, progress, development, and nostalgia. Is change always good? We would typically look at the new sidewalks, storefronts, etcetera and see it as a good thing, as progress. But what has been lost in order for this progress to be made?
The famous Castro Street in San Francisco has traditionally been home to the LGBT community for decades. I will admit that the sheer freedom I once felt, walking hand in hand down the Castro with Robert, without fear or even any adverse glances, was beyond wonderful. To be surrounded by "people like us", "our own kind" was both emotionally satisfying and thrilling. Despite the differences in political, historical, even sexual concepts, the LGBT was and is a community and you could never find it more visible than in the Castro, with a possible exception of Greenwich Village in NYC.
As the housing prices climbed along the Castro, many older LGBT residents sold and moved to other locations. The city of San Francisco has become a welcoming place, without any need for a ghetto. Gay men and women can walk down most of the city's streets without fear, most of the time. The beauty of the well kept neighborhood is attractive to families and soon many couples with young children were moving in. These families were usually very tolerant of their LGBT neighbors, and wanted to raise their children in a very diverse, open and liberal area. However, the next wave of residents were a bit more conservative. They were looking for a good, clean neighborhood with many amenities, good schools, and a terrific location for commuting to down town.
Along the Castro, for decades, one could find stores with mannequins in the display windows sporting leather harnesses, chains, clamps, tattoos, mohawks, and any number of other accouterments. The LGBT community has been marginalized by society for its sexual orientations, and thereby for its sexual "proclivities". Perhaps as a way to rebel against that marginalization, the community has embraced an "in your face" attitude about sex. As we gain more and more acceptance within the general public, we no longer have such a dire need to rebel. These storefronts are beginning to fade away on their own. However, recently some of the new families moving into the Castro have begun to complain about the displays. Citing their children's impressionable minds, they have demanded that the stores black out their windows or remove any of the "offending" items. This is an effort to "clean up" the street and make it even more family friendly.
And that is how the ghettos disappear. Should we bemoan the loss, or celebrate the progress?
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