67% say marriages between same-sex couples should be legally valid
Current figure matches all-time high recorded in 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two in three Americans (67%) say marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, matching the previous high Gallup measured in 2018. The latest figure comes just before the five-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that all states must recognize same-sex marriages.
Line graph. Americans support for same-sex marriage. In Gallup’s May 1-13 survey, 67% say that same-sex marriage should be legally valid.
These data are from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs poll, conducted May 1-13.
Since Gallup’s initial measure on support for gay marriage in 1996, when 27% backed it, the percentage of U.S. adults saying it should be legally recognized has climbed by 40 percentage points.
Gallup first recorded majority-level support in May 2011, and support has exceeded 60% each year since 2016.
In its Obergefell v. Hodges decision on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that all U.S. states must grant same-sex marriages and recognize those marriages granted in other states.
Democrats, Independents Much More Likely Than Republicans to Support Gay Marriage
U.S. Democrats (83%) have consistently been one of the most likely groups to favor same-sex marriage, and their support has grown the most (by 50 points) among political party groups since 1996. Support has also grown considerably among independents — now at 71%, up 39 points since Gallup’s initial measure.
Republicans have consistently been the least likely to favor same-sex marriage, though they have warmed to the idea over the course of Gallup’s trend, growing in support by 33 points. Since 2017, however, their views have remained stable, ranging from 44% to 49%.
Line graph. Americans support for same-sex marriage, by political party affiliation. Democrats are most likely to support same-sex marriage, at 86%, followed by independents at 74% and Republicans at 45%.
Bottom Line
Americans’ support for recognizing same-sex marriages as legally valid more than doubled between the late 1990s and the mid-2010s, and has since climbed even higher. The trend parallels the evolution of societal attitudes on legalizing marijuana over roughly the same time.
At this time, given both shifts in public attitudes and the Obergefell decision, gay marriage is unlikely to reemerge as a major issue in U.S. electoral politics. No serious efforts by the Republican Party, who were once staunch opponents to legalizing gay marriage, have been made since the court’s decision — even in recent years, under a Republican president.
Still, tracking Americans’ evolution on the issue has been a fascinating shift to observe; their changing views on this matter are one of the most notable shifts in public opinion Gallup has measured in recent decades. Support for recognizing gay marriages has grown since the court’s decision brought the issue to a close. Future Gallup measures will determine if the current two-thirds of Americans who support same-sex marriage is the ceiling, or if there is further growth in the coming decades.
As travel’s great reopening stutters and starts, the big question mark is just how many of the people who’ve been stuck at home will be ready to travel again — even with the potential risks.
Everyone has their best guess — from the rosy to the doomed — but history suggests that there is one demographic that has proved uniquely willing to travel even when there are risks associated: the LGBTQ community.
“Particularly in New York City, it’s widely said that after 9/11 when things opened back up, our community was the first to be out there, supporting the shows and the restaurants, and the hotels and getting back out into the world,” John Tanzella, CEO of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, told Skift back in March.
Fast forward a few months, and that’s proving to be true. A poll conducted by market insight and analytics company The Harris Poll found that while still cautious at this stage, LGBTQ appetite to return to travel was outpacing the population at large, with 51 percent of LGBTQ adults expecting to travel for vacation sometime in 2020 versus 46 percent of non-LGBTQ adults. Over the just-gone holiday weekend, 8 percent were willing to plan travel, versus 4 percent.
Another poll by the IGLTA found that two thirds (66 percent) of respondents would feel comfortable traveling again for non-essential/non-business reasons before the end of 2020.
It’s important to note that ignoring all risks and defiantly going on as usual — such as those who gathered at a crowded pool party in Missouri over Memorial Day weekend — is not something to be celebrated in 2020. And indeed, mass gatherings like Pride are rightly being skipped this year in cities like London, San Francisco, and New York City, in line with public health advice. However, popular LGBTQ destinations like Fire Island Pines and Provincetown, Massachusetts, are grappling with how to reopen safely amidst demand from LGBTQ people, with an emphasis on safety, including private house rentals and outdoor activities.
“Previous studies have shown our community to be a resilient and loyal travel segment with a history of traveling more frequently than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts,” said Tanzella said in a statement. “We wanted to document their sentiments during this particularly challenging moment in time to remind the tourism industry at large that LGBTQ+ travelers should be a valued part of their recovery plans. Messages of inclusion have the potential to be even more powerful now.”
There are a couple reasons why LGBTQ folk are historically resilient travelers, in the face of everything from terrorism to recessions to pandemics. The first, says Darren Burn — founder of luxury LGBTQ travel company Out Of Office and managing director of Travelgay.com, a highly visited site for LGBTQ travel — is the rather prosaic reason that a higher proportion of that community is dual income, no kids, allowing more discretionary time and money to spend on travel.
The second, however, is more existential: traveling while gay, lesbian, trans, or queer has always come with higher risks than the non-LGBTQ population. Around 70 United Nations member states criminalize consensual sexual acts between same sex adults, some of them with severe corporeal punishment. In addition, the brutal history of HIV/AIDS in the gay community — for which there is still no cure or vaccine, but there is highly effective treatment — means that “risk is viewed in a different way to the mainstream,” Burn said.
“If you think about it, we are sending people to countries where technically they could be murdered for being gay — it’s illegal to be gay in those countries, and yet people will still travel there with our advice because they want to,” Burn, who started his own company after he and a partner were turned away from a hotel in another country because they wanted to share a bed, told Skift. “In general our market is certainly not afraid to travel to more difficult destinations.”
Ed Salvato, an author and consultant for companies who want to reach LGBTQ travelers and an adjunct instructor at New York University’s tourism and hospitality school, says that the LGBTQ travel industry’s track record of providing their clients with high level, detailed information and risk assessments means there’s a high level of trust already established between small, vetted tour operators and travel agents and the community. “It’s almost like the groundwork is there for a coronavirus response,” Salvato said. “People were already doing the work with LGBTQ travel, and marketing can now say [virus preparedness and education] is another one of the things we’re folding in.”
When the label “LGBTQ travel” is used, the imagery, marketing, and even stats associated often refer rather narrowly to gay men. But Meg Ten Eyck, a speaker and the editor and founder of EveryQueer Magazine, says that travel isn’t just uniquely embedded into the gay male identity, but the community at large. She explained why.
“Travel is built into our culture. For the most part most LGBTQ young people aren’t growing up in super welcoming and affirming households and they’re usually in smaller cities or even rural areas or small towns,” Ten Eyck said. “A lot of people flock to the bigger city or the most accepting region that’s close to them as they get older. Even traveling for Pride … it’s become part of the culture for us to travel.”
She added the caveat that demand may not bounce back uniformly. “The more marginalized you are the harder travel is for you in the best of circumstances. When you’re compounding these identities, it makes it even harder to be able to travel,” Ten Eyck said. “So I do think for the majority of the LGBTQ community it will rebound quickly,” but she said it might be that gay white male demographic rebounds the earliest due to their relative privilege.
Salvato is similarly convinced about the community’s desire to get on the road again. “The travel gene is so pronounced in the DNA of queer people. It goes way way back. It’s always been there.”
TikTok is no longer just a place where you upload dance routines and challenge videos – it’s become much deeper than that!
If you’re an avid TikToker, then you’re probably part of a TikTok subculture, group or even ‘cult‘ which allows you to socialise with other TikTok users who have similar interests to you.
The latest trend which divides TikTok up into sections is ‘Straight’ and ‘Gay’ TikTok.
But what exactly do these terms mean?
Photo by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash
What is ‘Straight’ and ‘Gay’ TikTok?
TikTok users are dividing the TikTok community into two categories, ‘Straight TikTok’ and ‘Gay TikTok’.
This categorisation is based on the sexuality of the person, and allows users to identify with a certain group and socialise with others who are similar to themselves.
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So as you know I am on the gay side of TikTok. Um, what is the straight side like? What do y’all do?
People see TikTok as a safe place to discuss their sexuality
Many people are openly discussing their sexuality and becoming part of the ‘Straight’ or ‘Gay’ communities on TikTok.
This should be marked as a positive step in the progression of social media, as users are seeing TikTok as a safe place where they can reveal and discuss their true sexuality without fear.
The ‘Straight’ and ‘Gay’ communities have become TikTok rivals
The two groups often engage in rivalry on the social media app, but it’s usually merely lighthearted humour between the two communities.
‘Straight’ TikTok is a term often used by the ‘Gay’ TikTokers to humorously mock a certain TikTok stereotype, usually a white American teenager who makes typical dance and lip-sync videos.
However, ‘Gay’ TikTok does often claim that ‘Straight’ TikTok does little to include and celebrate LGBTQ+ issues.
We’ve been at this stay-at-home thing since, what, March 15? A long time. And for gays, that means a long time since they’ve seen the inside of a gym. And every day since this whole thing started more and more gays on social media seem to be lamenting that.
What’s striking to me is we didn’t even take losing Pride this hard. Or for that matter having our summer plans thrown out the window. This weekend has always been the official start of summer. Come Friday, many of us should be piling into cars, beach bound. After that, the energy should be rolling right into Pride, our city’s largest, and best, celebration. But when news came out that these events were postponed, we sort of collectively shrugged with a ‘yeah, we understand’ nod that it was the necessary thing to do.
So what made losing the gym so special? Again, every week seems to be another howl of regret from social media of gays losing this particular space, wondering when it will be available to them again. And maybe this isn’t just a gay thing? Last week saw news reports of gym goers, straights presumably, staging a protest outside a Florida courthouse to pressure city officials to reopen their gyms. That particular demonstration had protesters collectively doing squats and pushups on the sidewalk, which seemed somewhat silly in that they were actually proving they don’t need the gym to work out.
D.C. gays wouldn’t go that far. We’re too classy and erudite. But still, going this long, and the prospect of going even longer without our beloved gym space is hard to swallow for a lot of us. And just why the gym as a space is so important to us could fill up dissertations. I, for one, always found it amusing that as gay kids we did everything we could to avoid gym, but as gay adults we flock to them.
For many of us the gym is certainly a social space. I have the luxury of going during the day, during what I call ‘bartender, Realtor, stripper hour.’ Even during this relatively sparse time I do enjoy interacting with others. At night, that is after most folks are done with work, the space is just as crowded as any bar.
But of course differing from the bar scene, the space is there for our physical health. And again, to say gays prize their physical health, or at least their physical appearance, could keep graduate students busy for years. But that’s the real prize, isn’t it? The self. That the gym exists so that we can strive for optimal physical health, that is strive for the possibility of our best selves. I think that, given the high concentration of type-A gays we have in this town, is the real reason we can’t stand losing the gym. Just Google ‘type-a’ and the first words you find are competitiveness, drive, impatience, need for control, and focus. That’s pretty much the gym on any weekday at 6 p.m.
I wanted this column to be a sort of shoutout to all the different kinds of gays I’ve been missing at the gym. Like the one wearing pristine gym clothes who just stands there, texting. I’ve still never seen him pick up a weight. Or the one gay who must be allergic to all types of deodorant. I wanted to but alas, it would probably be too easy to suss out their identities. That, and in a strange way, I do miss seeing these people.
With our city’s phased reopening, it’s my guess we really won’t see the inside of gyms until August. Until then, keep jogging, cycling, and doing those at-home yoga classes. I do miss seeing your faces, but we will see each other again.
Brock Thompson is a D.C.-based writer who contributes regularly to the Blade.
There are huge restrictions on international travel at the moment. Many countries have closed their borders altogether, other countries are restricting visitors from some countries, others are requiring a mandatory quarantine, etc.
And then you have Tanzania…
In this post:
Tanzania opens with (basically) no restrictions
Tanzania’s President, John Magufuli, has announced plans to open to tourists effective immediately. There are no restrictions on where visitors can come from, and the only formality is that passengers will have to get their temperatures checked upon arrival in Tanzania. There will still be the typical requirements to wear masks and sometimes social distance while in the country, but that’s about it.
Previously the country imposed a two week quarantine period, but that is no longer in effect.
How many COVID-19 cases has Tanzania had?
Tanzania claims to have had only 21 deaths from COVID-19. The country claims to have had only a total of 509 confirmed cases, and also claims that there have only been 29 new cases since May 1, all of which were reported on one day.
Sounds amazing, eh? Well…
Why you shouldn’t go to Tanzania
For a bit of background, President Magufuli has also been quoted as saying that the economy is more important than the threat posed by coronavirus. And that’s probably the most reasonable thing he has said.
He has also claimed that his son recovered from COVID-19 using a lemon and ginger solution:
“My own son, after contracting the virus, closed himself in his room, took a lemon and ginger solution before getting well and is even able to do push-ups.”
And AIDS is also a thing, so we shouldn’t really care too much about COVID-19:
“We have had a number of viral diseases, including AIDS and measles. Our economy must come first. It must not sleep. If we allow our economy to sleep, we will not receive salaries. Life must go on.”
He has been accused of covering up the true number of cases in the country
He has had testing carried out on animals and fruit to demonstrate that there are false positives; rumor has it that some of these tests came back positive, and he thinks a “dirty game” is being played by the lab that analyzes the results
He claims that international health officials are exaggerating the crisis because they’re on the “payroll of imperialists”
He has encouraged people to go to church, because praying “can vanquish the satanic virus”
Also keep in mind that Tanzania has one of the worst records when it comes to LGBT rights under the current administration, so everyone is welcome, but not gays. In recent years the country has launched an anti-gay crackdown, including performing anal exams on men to determine if they’re gay (which makes so much sense… goodness).
Oh, Magufuli is also up for re-election this year.
Bottom line
There are some countries, like Iceland, that are trying to bring back tourism as responsibly as possible. And then you have Tanzania, which is opening with no restrictions, and which isn’t reporting COVID-19 cases. The president seems to think COVID-19 is a conspiracy theory against him.
So yeah, please don’t go to Tanzania right now. For the record, I’d love to visit Tanzania eventually, as I’ve met so many nice people from there and the country looks gorgeous, but I’ll wait for there to be a new administration, as I personally prefer to travel to countries without anal exams.
It’s still illegal to be LGBT+ in 70 countries, and you could be given the death penalty in 12, as the world marks 30 years since “homosexuality” was declassified as a disease.
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), May 17 marks the day the World Health Organisation (WHO) declassified “homosexuality” as a mental disorder.
As the world reaches 30 years since being gay was no longer an internationally designated disease, a map by an international LGBT organization shows it remains illegal to be gay in 70 countries.
The data presented in this map is based on State-Sponsored Homophobia, an ILGA World report by Lucas … [+] Ramón Mendos.
ILGA WORLD
But 70 countries in the world still criminalise LGBT+ sexual acts between adults.
Additionally, being LGBT is illegal in Gaza (Palestine), the Cook Islands and some provinces in Indonesia. While in several other countries, are still seeing cases of de factocriminalization.
LGBT+ people are being killed in 12 countries who have the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults.
In Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan this death penalty is regularly imposed across the county. You can also be punished by death in some provinces of Somalia and Nigeria.
MORE FOR YOU
A further six,have legal or religious provisions that also allow for the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults. In Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the law exists, but there is little evidence LGBT+ are facing the death penalty.
Police escort people marching through Katowice city centre during the Equality March 2019. On … [+] Saturday, September 7, 2019, in Katowice, Poland. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
These are the rights LGBT+ people have around the world
The map is part of a report about the legal status of being LGBT+ around the globe. The ILGA State-Sponsored Homophobia Report, released in December 2019and updated for IDAHOBIT 2020.
The report shows that despite the rhetoric that “it’s getting easier to be LGBT+”–staggering parts of the world remain without fundamental rights in employment, marriage, adoption and the prevention of crimes.
Despite widespread condemnation and scientific evidence that gay conversion therapy does not work, the cruel torture is only illegal in four countries across the world. Germany was the most recent country to ban the practice along with Brazil, Ecuador and Malta.
Only 11 countries mention sexual orientation in their constitution’s non-discrimination clauses–just 6% of the world.
The report also finds that within UN States:
Only one in five (34, 18%) have legal provisions that restrict the right to freedom of expression on LGBT+ issues.
Only one in five (41, 22%) have legal provisions that prohibit the registration or operation of organizations that work on sexual orientation issues.
Only three in ten (57, 30%) have laws offering broad protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation (in goods and services, education, health, employment).
Only two in five (77, 40%) have laws protecting from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Only one in four (46, 24%) impose enhanced criminal penalties for offences motivated by hate–known to many as hate crimes–towards the victim’s sexual orientation.
Only three in twenty allow LGBT+ people to have same-sex marriages, (27, 14%) and Taiwan recognise marriage equality. Costa Rica joins them the end of May 2020. With only a few more (32, 16%) provide some partnership recognition.
Only three in twenty (14%) allow for same-sex joint adoption, and 31 (16%) plus Taiwan allow for same-sex second-parent adoption.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 07, 2019: Members of LGBTQ community protest outside Downing … [+] Street on 07 December, 2019 in London, England, in the run-up to the general election. The demonstrators protest against Boris Johnson’s record of controversial comments aimed at the LGBTQ community, racism and Islamophobia as well as the Conservative government’s lack of legislation on further advancing LGBT+ rights.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Wiktor Szymanowicz / Barcroft Media (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
The survey, released this week alongside the annual ILGA-Europe Rainbow map that shows half of Europe has made no progress on LGBT+ rights since last year.
And for the second year in a row, it shows that countries are moving backwards on the Rainbow Index, as existing protections are disappearing.
“This is a critical time for LGBTI equality in Europe, says Executive Director of ILGA-Europe, Evelyne Paradis.
“With each year passing, more and more countries, including champions of LGBTI equality, continue to fall behind in their commitments – while more governments take active measures to target LGBTI communities.
“History shows that those who are vulnerable before a crisis only becomes more vulnerable after a crisis. We have every reason to worry that political complacency, increased repression and socio-economic hardship will create a perfect storm for many LGBTI people in Europe in the next few years.”
Free rainbow face masks are distributed during coronavirus pandemic by members of Krakow Equality … [+] Centre DOM EQ. Krakow, Poland on May 10th, 2020. The rule of covering the nose and mouth in public places with face masks, carves or handkerchiefs came into force from April 16th. The order will not apply to children up to the age of two and people who are unable to cover their mouth or nose due to breathing difficulties. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
The European Commission’s Helena Dalli is also worried about the high levels of discrimination LGBT+ people are facing.
“More worryingly, we have recently witnessed within the EU anti-LGBTI incidents such as attacks on prides, the adoption of ‘LGBTI ideology-free zone’ declarations, fines for LGBTI-friendly advertisements and others. Everybody in the European Union should feel safe and free to be themselves,” Dalli says.
Which as the COVID-19 crisis continues, may only continue to get worse.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has recognised the “increase in homophobic and transphobic rhetoric” during the pandemic.
One-in-ten eligible voters in the 2020 electorate will be part of a new generation of Americans – Generation Z. Born after 1996, most members of this generation are not yet old enough to vote, but as the oldest among them turn 23 this year, roughly 24 million will have the opportunity to cast a ballot in November. And their political clout will continue to grow steadily in the coming years, as more and more of them reach voting age.
Unlike the Millennials – who came of age during the Great Recession – this new generation was in line to inherit a strong economy with record-low unemployment. That has all changed now, as COVID-19 has reshaped the country’s social, political and economic landscape. Instead of looking ahead to a world of opportunities, Gen Z now peers into an uncertain future.
There are already signs that the oldest Gen Zers have been particularly hard hit in the early weeks and months of the coronavirus crisis. In a March 2020 Pew Research Center survey, half of the oldest Gen Zers (ages 18 to 23) reported that they or someone in their household had lost a job or taken a cut in pay because of the outbreak. This was significantly higher than the shares of Millennials (40%), Gen Xers (36%) and Baby Boomers (25%) who said the same. In addition, an analysis of jobs data showed that young workers were particularly vulnerable to job loss before the coronavirus outbreak, as they were overrepresented in high-risk service sector industries.
Indiana University students move out of student housing due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Jeremy Hogan/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Aside from the unique set of circumstances in which Gen Z is approaching adulthood, what do we know about this new generation? We know it’s different from previous generations in some important ways, but similar in many ways to the Millennial generation that came before it. Members of Gen Z are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, and they are on track to be the most well-educated generation yet. They are also digital natives who have little or no memory of the world as it existed before smartphones.
Still, when it comes to their views on key social and policy issues, they look very much like Millennials. Pew Research Center surveys conducted in the fall of 2018 (more than a year before the coronavirus outbreak) among Americans ages 13 and older found that, similar to Millennials, Gen Zers are progressive and pro-government, most see the country’s growing racial and ethnic diversity as a good thing, and they’re less likely than older generations to see the United States as superior to other nations.
A look at how Gen Z voters view the Trump presidency provides further insight into their political beliefs. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in January of this year found that about a quarter of registered voters ages 18 to 23 (22%) approved of how Donald Trump is handling his job as president, while about three-quarters disapproved (77%). Millennial voters were only slightly more likely to approve of Trump (32%) while 42% of Gen X voters, 48% of Baby Boomers and 57% of those in the Silent Generation approved of the job he’s doing as president.
Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations
Generation Z represents the leading edge of the country’s changing racial and ethnic makeup. A bare majority (52%) are non-Hispanic white – significantly smaller than the share of Millennials who were non-Hispanic white in 2002 (61%). One-in-four Gen Zers are Hispanic, 14% are black, 6% are Asian and 5% are some other race or two or more races.
Gen Zers are slightly less likely than Millennials to be immigrants: 6% were born outside of the U.S., compared with 7% of Millennials at the same age. But they are more likely to be the children of immigrants: 22% of Gen Zers have at least one immigrant parent (compared with 14% of Millennials). Even as immigration flows into the U.S. have diminished in recent years, new immigrants will join the ranks of Gen Z in the years to come. As a result, this generation is projected to become majority nonwhite by 2026, according to Census Bureau projections.
In some regions of the U.S., Gen Z has already crossed this threshold. In the West, only 40% of Gen Zers are non-Hispanic white. Just as many are Hispanic, while 4% are black, 10% are Asian and 6% are some other race. In the South, 46% of Gen Zers are non-Hispanic white. Minority representation is lowest in the Midwest, where more than two-thirds of Gen Zers (68%) are non-Hispanic white.
Gen Z on track to be the best-educated generation yet
A look at older members of Generation Z suggests they are on a somewhat different educational trajectory than the generations that came before them. They are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to be enrolled in college. Among 18- to 21-year-olds no longer in high school in 2018, 57% were enrolled in a two-year or four-year college. This compares with 52% among Millennials in 2003 and 43% among members of Gen X in 1987.
These changing educational patterns are tied to changes in immigration especially among Hispanics. Gen Z Hispanics are less likely than Millennial Hispanics to be immigrants, and previous research has shown that second-generation Hispanic youth are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to attend college than foreign-born Hispanic youth.
Gen Zers are also more likely to have a college-educated parent than are previous generations of young people. In 2019, 44% of Gen Zers ages 7 to 17 were living with a parent who had a bachelor’s degree or more education, compared with 33% of Millennials when they were the same age. Both of these trends reflect the overall trend toward more Americans pursuing higher education.
Perhaps because they are more likely to be engaged in educational endeavors, Gen Zers are less likely to be working than previous generations when they were teens and young adults. Only 18% of Gen Z teens (ages 15 to 17) were employed in 2018, compared with 27% of Millennial teens in 2002 and 41% of Gen Xers in 1986. And among young adults ages 18 to 22, while 62% of Gen Zers were employed in 2018, higher shares of Millennials (71%) and Gen Xers (79%) were working when they were a comparable age.
(iStockphoto)
Gen Zers and Millennials have similar viewpoints on many major issues of the day
The views of Gen Z mirror those of Millennials in many ways. Still, survey data collected in 2018 (well before the coronavirus outbreak) shows that there are places where this younger generation stands out as having a somewhat different outlook.
For example, members of Gen Z are more likely than older generations to look to government to solve problems, rather than businesses and individuals. Fully seven-in-ten Gen Zers say the government should do more to solve problems, while 29% say government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals. A somewhat smaller share of Millennials (64%) say government should do more to solve problems, and this view is even less prevalent among older generations (53% of Gen Xers, 49% of Boomers and 39% of Silents).
For the most part, however, Gen Zers and Millennials share similar views on issues facing the country. These younger generations are more likely than their older counterparts to say the earth is getting warmer due to human activity: 54% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials say this, compared with smaller shares of Gen Xers, Boomers and Silents (48%, 45% and 38%, respectively).
When it comes to race relations, Gen Zers and Millennials are about equally likely to say that blacks are treated less fairly than whites in this country. Roughly two-thirds of Gen Zers and Millennials say this, compared with about half of Gen Xers and Boomers and smaller shares among the Silent Generation.
Younger generations also share a different view of the U.S. relative to other countries in the world. Gen Zers (14%) and Millennials (13%) are less likely than Gen Xers (20%), Boomers (30%) or Silents (45%) to say the U.S. is better than all other countries. Still, pluralities of every generation except the Silent Generation say the U.S. is one of the best countries in the world along with some others.
Within the GOP, Gen Zers have sharp differences with their elders
Among Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party, there are striking differences between Generation Z and older generations on social and political issues. In their views on race, Gen Z Republicans are more likely than older generations of Republicans to say blacks are treated less fairly than whites in the U.S. today. Fully 43% of Republican Gen Zers say this, compared with 30% of Millennial Republicans and roughly two-in-ten Gen X, Boomer and Silent Generation Republicans. Views are much more consistent across generations among Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Similarly, the youngest Republicans stand out in their views on the role of government and the causes of climate change. Gen Z Republicans are much more likely than older generations of Republicans to desire an increased government role in solving problems. About half (52%) of Republican Gen Zers say government should do more, compared with 38% of Millennials, 29% of Gen Xers and even smaller shares among older generations. And the youngest Republicans are less likely than their older counterparts to attribute the earth’s warming temperatures to natural patterns, as opposed to human activity (18% of Gen Z Republicans say this, compared with three-in-ten or more among older generations of Republicans).
Overall, members of Gen Z look similar to Millennials in their political preferences, particularly when it comes to the upcoming 2020 election. Among registered voters, a January Pew Research Center survey found that 61% of Gen Z voters (ages 18 to 23) said they were definitely or probably going to vote for the Democratic candidate for president in the 2020 election, while about a quarter (22%) said they were planning to vote for Trump. Millennial voters, similarly, were much more likely to say they plan to support a Democrat in November than Trump (58% vs. 25%). Larger shares of Gen X voters (37%), Boomers (44%) and Silents (53%) said they plan to support President Trump.
Young women register to vote in September 2018 in Torrance, California. (Sarah Morris/Getty Images)
Younger generations see family, societal change as a good thing
Across a number of measures, Gen Zers and Millennials stand out from older generations in their views of family and societal change. Roughly half of Gen Zers (48%) and Millennials (47%) say gay and lesbian couples being allowed to marry is a good thing for our society. By comparison, only one-third of Gen Xers and about one-quarter of Boomers (27%) say this is a good thing. Pluralities of Boomers and Gen Xers say it doesn’t make a difference. Members of the Silent Generation are the most likely to view this as a bad thing for society.
There is a similar pattern in views of people of different races marrying each other, with larger shares of Millennials and Gen Zers saying this is a good thing for our society, compared with older generations. Very few across generations say this is a bad thing for society.
Gen Zers and Millennials are less likely than older generations to say that single women raising children on their own is a bad thing for society. Still, relatively few in both generations say this is a good thing for society, while about half say it doesn’t make much difference (roughly similar to the shares among older generations).
When it comes to their own home life, the experiences of Gen Z reflect, in part, broad trends that have reshaped the American family in recent decades. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data, about three-in-ten (29%) live in a household with an unmarried parent while 66% live with two married parents. A roughly comparable share of Millennials (69%) lived with two married parents at a similar age, but the shares among Gen Xers and Boomers were significantly larger (72% and 86%). Of those Gen Zers who are living with two married parents, in most cases both of those parents are in the labor force (64%). This compares with a slightly higher share of Millennials who were living with two parents at a comparable age (66% had two parents in the labor force) and a slightly lower share of Gen Xers (61%).
Generations differ in their familiarity and comfort with using gender-neutral pronouns
Ideas about gender identity are rapidly changing in the U.S., and Gen Z is at the front end of those changes. Gen Zers are much more likely than those in older generations to say they personally know someone who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns, with 35% saying so, compared with 25% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Xers, 12% of Boomers and just 7% of Silents. This generational pattern is evident among both Democrats and Republicans.
There are also stark generational differences in views of how gender options are presented on official documents. Gen Z is by far the most likely to say that when a form or online profile asks about a person’s gender it should include options other than “man” and “woman.” About six-in-ten Gen Zers (59%) say forms or online profiles should include additional gender options, compared with half of Millennials, about four-in-ten Gen Xers and Boomers (40% and 37%, respectively) and roughly a third of those in the Silent Generation (32%).
These views vary widely along partisan lines, and there are generational differences within each party coalition. But those differences are sharpest among Republicans: About four-in-ten Republican Gen Zers (41%) think forms should include additional gender options, compared with 27% of Republican Millennials, 17% of Gen Xers and Boomers and 16% of Silents. Among Democrats, half or more in all generations say this.
Gen Zers are similar to Millennials in their comfort with using gender-neutral pronouns. Both groups express somewhat higher levels of comfort than other generations, though generational differences on this question are fairly modest. Majorities of Gen Zers and Millennials say they would feel “very” or “somewhat” comfortable using a gender-neutral pronoun to refer to someone if asked to do so. By comparison, Gen Xers and Boomers are about evenly divided: About as many say they would feel at least somewhat comfortable (49% and 50%, respectively) as say they would be uncomfortable.
Members of Gen Z are also similar to Millennials in their views on society’s acceptance of those who do not identify as a man or a woman. Roughly half of Gen Zers (50%) and Millennials (47%) think that society is not accepting enough of these individuals. Smaller shares of Gen Xers (39%), Boomers (36%) and those in the Silent Generation (32%) say the same.
Here again there are large partisan gaps, and Gen Z Republicans stand apart from other generations of Republicans in their views. About three-in-ten Republican Gen Zers (28%) say that society is not accepting enough of people who don’t identify as a man or woman, compared with two-in-ten Millennials, 15% of Gen Xers, 13% of Boomers and 11% of Silents. Democrats’ views are nearly uniform across generations in saying that society is not accepting enough of people who don’t identify as a man or a woman.
Teens and technology
Looking at the relationship American teens have with technology provides a window into the experiences of a significant segment of Generation Z. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, 95% of 13- to 17-year-olds have access to a smartphone, and a similar share (97%) use at least one of seven major online platforms.
YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are among teens’ favorite online destinations. Some 85% say they use YouTube, 72% use Instagram and 69% use Snapchat. Facebook is less popular with teens – 51% say they use this social media site. Some 45% of teens say they are online “almost constantly,” and an additional 44% say they’re online several times a day.
Some researchers have suggested that the growing amount of time teens are spending on their mobile devices, and specifically on social media, is contributing to the growth in anxiety and depression among this group. Teens have mixed views on whether social media has had a positive or negative effect on their generation. About three-in-ten (31%) say the effect on people their own age has been mostly positive, 24% say it’s been mostly negative, and 45% say it’s been neither positive nor negative.
Many teens who say social media has had a positive effect say a major reason they feel this way is because it helps them stay connected with friends and family (40% of teens who say social media has a mostly positive effect say this). For those who see the effect of social media as negative, the most common reason cited is that it leads to bullying and rumor spreading (27% of teens who say social media has a mostly negative effect say this).
While sports events may be on hold, it’s still a great time to talk about how to build LGBTQ inclusion on teams and in athletics departments.
Wednesday evening, Outsports hosted an online conversation with three people who know quite a bit about that very thing.
The hour-long Zoom talk addressed how do you navigate the map of an athletics dept. to affect change in policy, elevate inclusion educational programs, and support groups for athletes and coaches. We didn’t just talk in broad strokes, attendees left the webinar having learned some of the key steps to take, as well as things to avoid.
The people joining the conversation were:
Resa Lovelace is Assistant AD – Student-Athlete Development at the Univ. of Maryland athletics department, and formerly worked at the Univ. of Oregon.
Dr. Christina Rivera is Sr. Associate Athletic Director/SWA at the UCLA athletics dept.
Some of the key observations from these experts were:
Some of the key benchmarks the panelists said they consider when determining of a sports environment is LGBTQ-inclusive were the language used in the space, not just whether it was homophobic or transphobic, but also how much heterosexuality was assumed in the space; policies that inclusion trans-athlete access to competition and fan conduct; visibility of LGBTQ people and straight, cis people who support the community; the history of the institution and the community at large in regards to diversity and inclusion.
Visibility was highlighted as a key component to building inclusion. The panelists discussed the importance of LGBTQ people in the athletics dept. being out and visible as resources for others who might be struggle. In addition, they talked about non-LGBTQ people being visible supporters, using rainbow stickers on office doors and open conversations about their support with their teams.
They stressed the importance of working with other campus resources — the LGBTQ center, residential life, student government — to find financial and practical resources to build educational efforts around inclusion within athletics.
A key question several attendees had involved getting buy-in from coaches who may not see LGBTQ-inclusion efforts as important or relevant to what they do. The panelists repeatedly referred to the presence of LGBTQ people on most sports teams, particularly over the course of a coach’s career. They also talked about the importance of focusing conversations with coaches and athletes on their desire to win, and how LGBTQ athletes feeling comfortable and accepted perform better.
There was also an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of our speakers, who were ready to provide specific feedback for how exactly to bring positive, inclusive change to your sports world.
LOS ANGELES — Local fashion designer Jonny Cota won the competition show “Making the Cut,” hosted by Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum. Not only did Cota take home the grand prize of $1 million, but he also received a one-year mentorship with the Amazon Fashion team.
As a family-run brand, Cota said he would likely be out of business by now if it weren’t for the competition show due to the coronavirus pandemic. While he didn’t expect to be celebrating the finale episode in sweatpants and with a box of pizza, Cota is grateful for Amazon’s platform and the Jonny Cota Studio, where fans can purchase his winning looks.
“It’s a really desperate time for the industry, especially for small, independent brands that don’t have the capital to float themselves,” Cota said.
You may also recognize Cota’s name from his brick-and-mortar store, COTA by Skingraft, at The Row in downtown Los Angeles. While they are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cota is excited to continue selling his edgy streetwear at his shop and also support his fellow fashion designers.
“I think that LA is special because LA is effortless and casual,” Cota said of his home. “In my designs I try to just bring a little of that causal, effortless vibe into everything we do.”
Not only is Cota looking to grow his fashion brand post-pandemic, but he also prioritizes giving back to the community in these tough times. Cota’s brand Skingraft teamed up with the Tom of Finland store to launch their mask initiative. For every mask purchased, they will donate one mask to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, providing protection to its dedicated health care staff and homeless youth in need.
“We are working to get out all those masks to customers and we’re about to ship our second shipment to the LA LGBT center for the donation,” Cota said. “Once all those get shipped we’ll offer them again, but right now it is sold out.”
MIAMI, May 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Travel enthusiasts in the LGBTQ+ community can now stay connected on all things LGBTQ+ travel via Amazon’s Alexa Gay Travel skill and Gay Travel Today flash briefing produced by Sagitravel, an international leader in LGBTQ+ travel. Gay Travel skill and Gay Travel Today flash briefing are the first smart speaker, voice-driven apps dedicated to LGBTQ+ travel enthusiasts searching for friendly vacation planning from experts within the LGBTQ+ community who understand specific gay travel needs.
According to a report from IGLTA Foundation, LGBTQ+ travel continues to rise, dominating the travel industry and creating specific needs for gay friendly services for the evolving world of travel.
“Our gay travel community is very important to us,” said Henry Rizzo, director general of Quo Vadis, the parent travel company for Sagitravel. “We want to stay connected with our LGBTQ+ community during this COVID-19 pandemic and bring them important travel news and creative ideas they can engage despite being grounded. We are excited to be the first to bring this to them via Amazon’s Alexa.”
Both the Gay Travel skill and Gay Travel Today flash briefing are free to enable on Amazon. Simply select Alexa Skills in the Amazon.com search bar and type in Gay Travel and Gay Travel Today, then choose to enable. Once enabled, the information is available via voice command with an Alexa smart speaker or the Alexa app. To open use the wake command, “Alexa, Open Gay Travel,” and “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?” or “Alexa, what’s my news?” The Gay Travel skill will give an option to book travel or to hear travel advisories including the latest news with gay pride events. The Gay Travel Today flash briefing is a daily microcast that provides updates on gay travel friendly destinations and ideas. The microcast, or mini-podcast, delivers news in less than 3 minutes and will be hosted by New York City-based Pop/R&B singer and songwriter, Teraj.
“Leveraging voice technology during this crisis is one of the best ways our LGBTQ+ community can stay informed and connected,” said Teraj, whose debut album, “DEFY” is comprised of songs inspired by chapters of his life with the goal to inspire and uplift listeners, encouraging them to celebrate individuality and humanity through life’s splendor and hardships. “Our voices have always been central to expressing who we are and helping others in the community feel accepted. Gay Travel Today is a perfect platform to bring that together.”
In addition to Amazon’s Alexa, the Gay Travel Today microcast can be heard on many popular podcast outlets including Spotify, Apple iTunes, Google Podcasts and more. Sagitravel is headquartered in Venezuela with U.S. offices in South Florida, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. They are the first gay travel agency in South America and known throughout the world for innovation in LGBTQ+ travel. Sagitravel is now the first to bring LGBTQ+ travel to Amazon’s Alexa, making the travel booking experience flawless and friendly for the gay community. Stay connected with Sagitravel on Twitter, Instagram and Amazon’s Alexa, Spotify, Apple iTunes, Google Podcasts or book your next gay travel friendly destination at www.sagitravelfriendly.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
A woman in Arlington, Virginia, enjoys a virtual happy hour on April 8 as local bars remain closed. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)
The internet and smartphones have long been embedded in Americans’ lives. But as the COVID-19 outbreak has led government officials to close nonessential businesses and schools and issue stay-at-home orders, many aspects of everyday life have migrated online.
Some Americans – particularly those who are younger or college educated – are finding virtual ways to connect, shop and be active during this time, according to a Pew Research Center survey that asked U.S. adults in early April about six types of online and mobile activities they may be engaging in due to the outbreak.
Roughly a third of Americans (32%) say they have had a virtual party or social gathering with friends or family, according to the April 7-12 survey. (Survey questions were posed to internet users on the Center’s American Trends Panel. Throughout this analysis, findings are reported as shares of the adult population.)
Besides turning to digital means to socialize, one-in-five Americans say they have watched a concert or a play that was livestreamed through the internet or an app. And with fitness centers, gyms and even some public parks closed, 18% of Americans say they have participated in an online fitness class or done an online workout video at home.
In addition, 17% of adults say they have attended a class online for school as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Most postsecondary schools throughout the United States have shut down their campuses and shifted to online classes.
Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand how Americans are responding to the new coronavirus outbreak. This analysis focuses in particular on the role digital technology plays in people’s day-to-day lives during the outbreak. For this analysis, we surveyed 4,917 U.S. adults from April 7 to 12, 2020. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses (see our Methods 101 explainer on random sampling). This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.
Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.
Differences by age and education
Young adults are particularly likely to have participated in these activities. Roughly half of adults ages 18 to 29 (48%) say they have had a virtual party or gathering because of COVID-19, compared with 38% of those ages 30 to 49 and 21% of those 50 and older.
Age differences regarding livestreaming a concert or play or doing virtual workouts are more modest. Still, adults under the age of 50 are more likely than those ages 50 and older to say they have livestreamed a concert or play (24% vs. 16%) or exercised via an online fitness class or video (25% vs. 10%).
There are also educational differences across each of these actions. The largest gap relates to online socializing. Roughly half of Americans with a bachelor’s or advanced degree (48%) say the outbreak has led them to get together with friends or family remotely, compared with 30% of those with some college experience and just 19% of those with a high school education or less. These experiences also differ by community type, with rural Americans less likely than those living in urban or suburban areas to report taking part in these web or mobile-based actions because of COVID-19.
While similar shares of men and women say they’ve had a virtual gathering as a result of the outbreak, women are more likely than men to say they have participated in an online fitness class or done an online workout video at home (22% vs. 13%) or have livestreamed a concert or play (22% vs. 17%).
Some turn to internet and apps to order groceries and meals
Many restaurants around the country have been forced to close dine-in service in favor of delivery or takeout options during the coronavirus outbreak.
In the Center’s survey conducted earlier this month, about a third of adults (32%) say they have ordered food online or through an app from a local restaurant due to COVID-19, but there are substantial differences by age, educational attainment and community type.
While 53% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they have ordered from a local restaurant this way, the share is 38% among those ages 30 to 49 and 20% among those 50 and older.
Roughly a third of Americans living in urban (35%) and suburban (36%) areas say they have ordered from a local restaurant online or through an app because of the outbreak, compared with 21% of those living in rural areas. In addition, college graduates are more likely than those with some college experience or those who have a high school education or less to say they have ordered food online or through an app from a local restaurant.
When it comes to other food needs, 21% of Americans say they have ordered groceries online or through an app because of the coronavirus outbreak. Compared with ordering from local restaurants, the demographic differences on this question are far more modest.
College graduates (28%) are more likely than those with some college (21%) or a high school education or less (16%) to report that they have ordered groceries online. Similarly, about a quarter (26%) of Americans ages 30 to 49 say that they have ordered groceries online or through an app from a local store as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, while only 18% of those 50 and older say the same. (Adults ages 18 to 29 do not significantly differ from older groups.)
Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.
Emily A. Vogelsis a research associate focusing on internet and technology at Pew Research Center.
Personal trainer Kyle Suib is committed to staying as dedicated to his fitness goals as he was before the lockdown and is using his skills to teach online classes to help bolster his flagging income.
“Commit to the self you were before the lockdown,” the 31-year-old Wilmington, Del., native says. “You haven’t changed. You have the same fitness goals you had before. The setting has just changed. If you have a kitchen, you have a gym.”
Pre-pandemic, Suib worked as a group fitness instructor and trainer at Equinox, SweatBox and VIDA. Now he’s teaching online. Those interested can find him on social media. He’s also working on a website and YouTube channel.
“Since the pandemic, all gyms have shut down,” he says. “We were suddenly forced into a virtual class setting without any formal introduction. I also knew I could not rely absolutely on my employers due to the lack of revenue, so I decided to branch out on my own. I owe it all to the amazing people who have been taking my classes for years.”
Suib says he’s had “ups and downs” during lockdown. He’s kept busy learning to market his online class offerings. He’s also a circus performer and tattoo enthusiast. He got his first ink in 2010, got his right leg done last year and plans more.
As for fitness, he says the best approach is to “commit.”
“Don’t just say eventually or maybe to doing something. Make the commitment because in the end, you can do it.”
Suib came to Washington nine years ago for love and work. He and his boyfriend of a year-and-a-half, Cameron Ragan, live together in Mount Vernon. He enjoys circus arts, food, dogs, training, cartoons and friends in his free time.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
2009 and my mother.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
Bianca Del Rio
What LGBTQ stereotype most annoys you?
All gays are alike. That a lack of hyper masculinity means you’re weak.
What’s your proudest professional achievement?
My proudest fitness professional achievement was actually becoming a cycle instructor. However, as a performer, my first time performing at Echo Stage was a life-changing experience.
What terrifies you?
Spiders, zombies and not being noticed.
What’s something trashy or vapid you love?
Reality cooking shows
What’s your greatest domestic skill?
I don’t have those. I walk the dogs.
What’s your favorite LGBTQ movie or show?
“The Birdcage”
What’s your social media pet peeve?
Lying and political attacks on your own community.
What would the end of the LGBTQ movement look like to you?
Being able to walk anywhere and not be afraid.
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Being fake in public
What was your religion, if any, as a child and what is it today?
I’m Jewish, but do not practice.
What’s D.C.’s best hidden gem?
The D.C. Capitol Ruins.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Britney shaving her head.
What celebrity death hit you hardest?
Patrick Swayze
If you could redo one moment from your past, what would it be?
I would have come out sooner and more confidently.
What are your obsessions?
My dogs, circus, making fitness open to EVERYONE.
Finish this sentence — It’s about damn time:
… you took my class!
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
I wish I knew what boys to stay away from and that hanging upside down would become my favorite thing to do!
Why Washington?
It’s certainly a bubble! I have the most amazing support network and friends here!
Kyle Suib (Photo by Saltphotos.com; courtesy Suib)
I went to Aruba for one reason: ‘Kokomo’ by The Beach Boys. The island (and the song) seemed to be the very definition of a tropical escape. I figured that Aruba would be full of palm trees, resorts, beaches, and…well, really, that’s all I thought Aruba was. To me, it would be just like Florida, filled with Americans at a Margaritaville that played Jimmy Buffet ‘til 2 A.M. In reality, Aruba is nothing like what I thought. The island remains relatively untouched and is filled with surprises.
As the plane landed, I was already excited beyond belief. Out my window, I could see the ocean waves gently washing onto shore, emerald palms dancing in the tradewinds, and the bright tropical sun glowing down. A short drive from the airport was my hotel, the Manchebo Beach Resort (J.E. Irausquin Blvd 55, Oranjestad, Tel: +297 582 3444. www.manchebo.com).
After cleaning up, I went to Manchebo’s beachside pavilion for something to eat. There were people sitting at the bar and nearby cabanas with drinks in-hand and plates of food being shared. I ordered flash-fried croquettes made of freshly caught fish mixed with herbs, spices, and breading.
Hiking in Arikok National
This was also when I met my true culinary love, Aruba’s very own Hot Delight papaya hot sauce. This relatively mild and sweet hot sauce adds a little bit of heaven to whatever you’re eating. It will be found in every single restaurant on the island and everyone will be using it. Who knew that a small island with a population of about 112,000 made one of the best hot sauces on this planet?
Later that night I met up with Aruban artist Naomi Landgraf, who took me to a restaurant called Papiamento (Washington 61, Noord. Tel: +297 586 4544. www.papiamentoaruba.com). Papiamento is the name of the native Aruban language before the Dutch colonized the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) and implemented Dutch as the main language. Papiamento (the restaurant), is built into a 126-year-old cunucu house. These were the traditional homes of Aruba before modern building materials began being used. This is also part of the reason why Naomi brought me here. Her art is making miniature versions of Aruba’s cunucu houses and telling the histories that go along with them.
Gay bars have been shuttered by public-place closure orders during the coronavirus pandemic. In March, more than half of U.S. states issued statewide closure orders for bars and restaurants, decimating the nightlife industry. This has left LGBT people without a place to gather in public and LGBT workers without employment.
But gay bars were already closing their doors before the virus hit. Their decline began sometime around 2002 and has since accelerated. My research shows that as many as 37% of the United States’ gay bars shut down from 2007 to 2019.
On the one hand, this decline can be seen as a sign of shifting attitudes toward LGBT people; on the other hand, their closure represents the loss of a vital community space. Unfortunately, gay bars in communities where they’re needed most – where they serve the most vulnerable segments of the LGBT population – will have the most difficult time rebounding from the crisis.
Acceptance comes with a cost
What’s behind the trend?
In this era of increasing LGBT acceptance, there’s growing competition from straight establishments. “I go wherever I want with my friends,” one former employee of a gay bar told Talking Points Memo in 2015. “Every bar is a gay bar.” In addition, the debut of geolocating smartphone dating and hookup apps like Grindr also heralded an era where cruising for sex – one of bars’ primary offerings – could be conducted anywhere, anytime.
The mainstreaming of LGBT people is a positive sign of progress, but something is lost when gay bars close.
They were once the only places where LGBT people could gather in public. Today, they are often the only place where they regularly do. Going to a gay bar is still a rite of passage for every LGBT person’s coming out.
Big cities have many gay bars and LGBT organizations, but most places only have one or two gay bars. In many smaller municipalities – from McAlester, Oklahoma, to Lima, Ohio, to Dothan, Alabama – the local gay bar is the only public place that caters to an LGBT crowd. When one of them closes, whether it’s due to the coronavirus or an owner’s retirement, entire regions are left without an LGBT community hub.
Grappling with an uncertain future
Some well-known establishments from big cities have responded to the coronavirus closures by moving their programming online.
Gay bars like Stud have moved events online for their housebound patrons.AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
These shows, however, represent a mere fraction of the bars’ regular weekly schedules, and virtual tip jars don’t bring in the same cash as the regular live shows did. Still, it’s something, and for LGBT people with disabilities, these online offerings are often more accessible than the physical places.
But shuttered gay bars outside of big cities don’t have the resources -— nor the national reach —- to move content online or raise money. Because these bars in smaller cities are often the only LGBTQ address for multi-county regions, their temporary closure leaves already-isolated LGBTQ people even more isolated than ever. As one gay bar owner told The Daily Beast, “The vast majority of bars don’t operate with margins to be able to sustain themselves for two weeks, four weeks or eight weeks without cash flow.”
If these temporary closure orders become permanent business failures, bars are unlikely to reopen quickly. Investors are required to open a bar in expensive, gentrified coastal cities. Savvy business owners may be able to declare bankruptcy and eventually reopen, but nearly all gay bars in America’s interior are mom-and-mom and pop-and-pop shops. These owners sometimes commingle personal finances with the professional, and lack the lines of credit to bounce back quickly.
The extent to which the stimulus package will help gay bars remains to be seen – all small businesses are in a state of limbo as they await relief funds. But the pathways for financial support for independent contractors and gig workers are even more cumbersome and convoluted in many states. These are the people not on the payroll who provide the sparkle to LGBT nightlife: the DJs, drag queens, dancers and security guards.
True, gay bars were never all things to all LGBT people. Caring about them means reckoning with their histories of exclusion of women, of transgender people, of people of color. Scholars once described them as the “primary social institution” of gay and lesbian life, but they haven’t been that for years. For many LGBT people they never were, even among the white gay men they primarily served. There are long histories of gay bars excluding those under 21, the undocumented, the disabled and those in addiction recovery.
But only a pessimist would condemn bars for these exclusionary sins, while only a willful optimist would celebrate the closure of what is often the only place for LGBT people to find like-minded others to celebrate in our queer ways.
Whether 37% fewer gay bars is a lot or a little depends on where you stand. True, there are fewer of them now than at any time in the last 40-plus years. There were more gay bars during the depths of the AIDS crisis, even. On the other hand, there are still over 800 across 46 states, with new ones appearing each year. Gay bars may be in trouble, but they’re not disappearing.
Nonetheless, the pandemic threatens the most vulnerable establishments – and their loss affects those of us in the LGBT community who have the least to lose.
An inclusive LGBT+ gym in Canada has been forced to permanently close after being subjected to months of online harassment and doxxing by a far-right hate group.
Queerflex in Edmonton, Canada, was founded to create a safe workout environment for LGBT+ people, who are often made to feel uncomfortable in mainstream gyms.
The gym was targeted by a group which at the time went by the name Patriot Pride Canada Wide, although it has since renamed itself Defend Canada.
Defend Canada described the founder of the LGBT+ gym as a “far left Extremist [who] has opened up a training compound for domestic terrorists.”
On its website it published the names and social media profiles of Queerflex staff, as well as the address of the gym, and wrote: “You can run but you can’t hide.”
While the gym hoped to re-open, and after consulting with security companies managed to run a few workshops and one-to-one classes.
But the lack of income after their temporary closure now means they must close their doors for good from February 29.
In a statement on February 12, the Queerflex team said: “The decision to close the doors to the Queerflex gym permanently has come as a result of careful consideration of all possible alternatives.
“The Board of Directors is deeply committed to creating safer spaces for our community and this decision has not come lightly.
“We wouldn’t be here without the dedication and the support of our community and its allies, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The local LGBT+ was “devastated” by the news that the gym was to permanently close.
One person wrote: “That is such a shame! You accomplished something wonderful and so needed! I’m sure there are many individuals who are grateful to you for providing the space, for as long as it was available.”
Another said: “This is extremely devastating and a huge let down for our community which is obviously in dire need of resources.”
