Metropolitan Lovers: The Homosexuality of Cities

From San Francisco's historic Castro neighborhood to New York's Chelsea district, the gay and lesbian community is alive and well in cities across America, bringing gentrification, social change and tight-knit communities with them. In this analytical survey, author and professor Abraham (Are Girls Necessary?, Diana: A Strange Autobiography) takes a look at the link between cities and homosexuals, presenting pros and the cons from both sides. A central focus is the stigma and obstacles faced by homosexuals generating community; Abraham sees homosexuals in public life as ""simultaneously-and inextricably-a social outcast and a weaver of social webs,"" who nevertheless are cementing their place through the popular and ""mutually reinforcing"" ideas of both urban life and homosexual life as ""lacking family or domestic ties.""Throughout, Abraham makes such unlikely, interesting connections between gay and straight figures; regarding Jane Jacobs and James Baldwin, Abraham pursues ""the resonance of her work with contemporary gay concerns, and the centrality of his conceptions of the city to his understandings of the world."" Abraham's deft look at this seemingly disparate duo is echoes throughout, especially in more ambivalent discussions about modern-day (post-Stonewall) ""ghettoized"" gay communities. Bolstered by expertise, balance and solid reporting, this sociological report is a solid addition to any GLBT studies library.