This thesis demonstrates a queer perspective stemming from a qualitative analysis of data gathered in interviews with LGBTQ+ people to analyze a transforming ethos of gayborhoods and queer desires. In particular, the research focuses on the interactive relationship between self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) participants; the cyberspace(s) of LGBTQ+ mobile-dating applications (apps); and tangible urban places. The topic of gayborhood demise and whether such places are worth saving has been debated by scholars and journalists for the last decade. The demise of gayborhoods is often thought to be a symptom of neoliberal urban processes such as gentrification within the context of the post-gay era and broader societal acceptance of homosexuality. This means the question of "if the gayborhood is worth saving" is inherently imbedded in an assumption that homosexuality is not viewed or treated as different or lesser than heterosexuality. In this imagined post-gay era, gayborhoods are declining because the dangers posed to the LGBTQ+ population are purported to no longer exist, so there is no longer a need for designated queer and/or safe places. This research destabilizes the assumptions embedded within the conception of the post-gay era by asking whether the gayborhood meets the needs and desires of contemporary queers. Alternatively, are LGBTQ+ mobile-dating apps part of gayborhood decline, and if so how? Therefore, the question of "if the gayborhood is worth saving" is not about assumed queer acceptance in greater society; rather, the question should be grounded in if the gayborhood fulfills the needs and desires of contemporary queers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1808462 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Stucky, Farrell |
| Contributors | Wolverton, Steven, Carrington, Jara, Oppong, Joseph |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | vi, 56 pages, Text |
| Rights | Public, Stucky, Farrell, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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