Counting gays

LE2 is part of the city of Leicester which prides itself in being ONE Leicester. If we see this as an aim rather something already gained then who can complain? By and large the different groupings represented in the city do get along. Casual observation leads me to think this is because the various groups, by and large, get along by not having too much to do with each other. Class is usually ignored. (For those readers not au fait with the socio-economics of the demographics, LE2 is mixed but not too poor, with some parts being decidedly bourgeoise, or as the estate agents' speak: desirable.) I sometimes think the only place the different groups do meet on an equal footing is in NHS out-patient waiting rooms and that can get a bit fraught at times. It is helpful to have a rough translation guide to such phrases as, "I don't recognise this place any more". Usually uttered by older, white males referring to the city of Leicester. Not infrequently they have moved to the suburbs or the county or even to Rutland.

The City Council seem to have some difficulty in recognising one group living in the city - broadly under the LGBT label - and we are often left wondering why this should be so. Many other aspects of diversity in the city are celebrated. Examples include: Diwali, various Sikh and Muslim feasts and, for Christians, the increasingly popular, Good Friday enactment in the city centre. Trying to trace just how LGBT presences in City Council come and go is challenging. The City Council may be trying to keep some faith groups that have decidedly homonegative views on board. Who knows, unless we talk about it openly? Perhaps the up coming Mayoral hustings at the LGBT centre in Wellington Street may provide some answers. Better still, if you get the chance to ask any candidates at the upcoming elections in May, you might get some interesting answers. At least, it will get the topic aired more.

For the more theoretically keen amongst us there may be those who challenge the notion of 'community ' being applied to LGBT people in the way, for example, it could be to Somalis or Irish groups. We can discuss this more.

Anyway, a recent article by a demographer in the Washington Post may help start, or at least inform, the discussion:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gay-people-count-so-why-not-count-them-correctly/2011/04/07/AFDg9K4C_story.html