Oxford St Woes

There have been increasing reports of homophobic bashings and incidents in what was Sydney's golden mile gay district - Oxford St.

This has been extensively discussed in the gay media but is also been picked up by the mainstream media making page one of the Sydney Morning Herald with the headline:

Unhappy days for strip where the city parties

There is currently a lot of frustration with what seems to be no effective response from the Surry Hills police who patrol this area.

Anyone who visits Oxford Street in recent times will notice the decline with the number of restaurants gone and gay venues closed - this really starting happening in 2000 and can be traced back to the financial collapse of Mardi Gras, the Gay Games in 2002 and the collapse of the Satellite Media.

While some gay venues have thrived the number has shrunk and a number of straight nightclubs have opened.

What is clear is if one is out in Surry Hills you should take a taxi home as a number of the incidents have happened within a few blocks of the main area.

What else can be done:

• Go out with friends and make sure you all get home safely
• If something doesn't feel right look for an exit, cross the street, etc.
• Report all incidents no matter how minor to the police
• Persist and follow up incidents
• If you go home with someone text a friend to let them know where you are going.
  
• Attend the "Reclaim the Right" community vigil in Harmony Park (next to Police Headquarters) in Surry Hills from 4pm 26th Jan.

There is some other worrying trends with some of the responses focused on the race of those who have been captured on video bashing gays. What should violence can come from anyone (though it is generally male) and from any age (though it is often younger men).

The Gay Hood

With the sudden closure of the Newtown Hotel in Sydney and the temporary closure of the Imperial Hotel it feels like a part of the gay community in Sydney has gone.

Along with some of the recent issues in Oxford St as straight clubs open up and bring more straight people into Oxford St one gets a feeling that Darlinghurst and Newtown aren't as gay as they used to be.

Having lived in Auckland of course one is used to not having a gay district and those gay bars which do appear come and go around New Zealand.

As Franc noted while visitor the Vancouver gay district

Auckland has no gay village. There is a part of K-Road, about half a block long (or short) that has a gay bar, and a couple of shops with rainbow stickers on the door, and that's about it.

So does it matter that Oxford St isn't as gay as it used to be?

Probably not but what does matter is the rise of homophobic violence in Oxford St. Of course when people have been out drinking all night some violence is bound to occur but it looks like it is on the rise again and directed against gay men and women.

This is partially been countered by opening a safe space in Oxford St.

It is times like this that you realise that maybe there is still a need for a gay district and gay space where been queer is the norm.