katy1981 Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I understand. It is easier to have gay bars/clubs centered around one place. Unfortunately it seems that Sheffield is a more narrow-minded city than others and therefore isn't ready for a central gay community. Don't know what you think? not sure about narrow minded bit as all the people i know are fine and have no problem with same sex couples so i cant comment there. allthough i am shocked sometimes too see that there are people out there even in todays society that frown upon it and still think its wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I don't think we're particularly narrow minded - every city has it's bigots. As for the lack of a 'quarter' - I think it may partially be the fact that we have a relatively small city centre, I dislike the idea of 'quarters' in general - whether based on business type, cultural mores, or whatever. It separates people apart and that can never be good. If there are bigots and morons, we need to deal with them rather than circle the wagons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex3659 Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Well homophobia does exist and I agree in a perfect world we would all live as one. However, if ever I or anyone I know has held hands or danced with or anything like that in a straight club, then you get dodgey looks or comments! Gay bars and clubs give a place where you can feel comfortable. Also, if you look at places like Manchester, lots of straight people to go gay places, so it is not about segregation, more about integration. Those people that are not ignorant. You see my point? already been said read the posts and yours is almost identical .i agree with you ,nothing wrong with gay clubs . just dont want a gay quarter ,that would be segragation as you so clearly explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upinwath Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I've seen the gay village in manchester and while it's not my cup of tea I don't loose sleep over it. As another poster said, it's full of life and seems to be a safe area of the city. I don't believe that any 'quarter' for gays or anyone else should be funded. If the market is there it will develop and support it's self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigpugh Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 I've seen the gay village in manchester and while it's not my cup of tea I don't loose sleep over it. As another poster said, it's full of life and seems to be a safe area of the city. I don't believe that any 'quarter' for gays or anyone else should be funded. If the market is there it will develop and support it's self. Prize to this poster- one of the first to directly address whether development of a gay 'quarter' should be funded, and the issue of market forces, which was what i was asking when i started the thread. You're right, if there is a market things will be self supporting. However, because sheffield's economy is slower than more affluent areas, the overall market has been too weak to keep afloat on its own. Thats why the regeneration funding helps- so for instance, funding going into the peace/ winter gardens has created a 'market' for the posh bars, hotels etc. This brings in jobs, money, and helps people whether or not they use those facilties or not. As you say, the village in manchester is 'full of life'- that means people living, shopping, eating, drinking in what before was a bit of a backwater area. The same way that in sheffield, regeneration funding is helping strengthen and sustain a 'market' in the riverside area. The other thing isnt about money, its about having a bit of a co-ordinated approach. Which isnt about segregation- think about the logic behind having the 'new retail quarter'- it isnt to segregate off the shoppers. Its that, if you were a retailer, wanting to come into sheffield, it would be a tremdeous gamble just choosing a location at random when everythings very spread out. Get it wrong and your business fails because your not near, in theis example, other shops. Lots of gay businesses (bars and clubs) have opened up but then shut down. quickly. (and lets not get into whether they're any good or whatever, plenty other threads for that!) Even if you dont want or like gay bars, if you just see it as a business, every business running in the city brings in income, pays taxes, rents, employs local people who can then spend that income in other local businesses etc. Its the economy, stupid, as clinton said. So some kind of co-ordination would help gay businesses strengthen and stabilise the 'market' even if there were no money involved. Long post thanks for reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazine Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I don't think Sheffield particularly needs a gay quarter and should definitely not be funded by anyone other than our own community. I am gay as is obviously apparent but most of my gay friends do not frequent the likes of Fuel and Dempseys but prefer to drink in "straight" pubs, although why they should be called "straight" pubs I don't know. A pub is a pub is a pub. I do think the new FAB bar sounds great and definitely will give it a go, but would not frequent on a regular basis or it just gets boring. I do however wish Adam all the best with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyranna Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 Hello- i work in regeneration and have often wondered, with all the money coming to sheffield to support new economic growth, why no-one has ever tried to get any funding support to help develop a gay quarter in the city centre. There must be business people either running venues, or who might want to try their hand at being entrepeneurial and running somewhere, who could make a real success if there was a bit more of a strategic approach. There could also do with being some support from within the various authorities- council, etc. Does any one think this is a good idea? Anyone know of previous attempts? Surely with sheffield's ever increasing 'night-time economy' the time must just about be right for a gay renaiassance? I think that's a GREAT idea; I've always thought that the seeds of an excellent Gay quarter/village could be planted around the 'Cultural Industries' Quarter (Around Showroom/HUBS/Matilda St., as there have been a lot of LGBT friendly venues around there over the years: the Matilda pub, the Rutland Arms (Still gay Friendly), the Matilda Building Squat (Where I was the resident Drag Queen at the parties they held), and of course, the Cossack, as well as all the arts venues! Personally, i would like the old Matilda pub relicenced and reopened asap as a great small gay venue, as the plans to turn it into apartments which i last heard of 2 years ago, have obviously come to nothing, and a fine old pub is just going to waste..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAM1BAR Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I don't think Sheffield particularly needs a gay quarter and should definitely not be funded by anyone other than our own community. I am gay as is obviously apparent but most of my gay friends do not frequent the likes of Fuel and Dempseys but prefer to drink in "straight" pubs, although why they should be called "straight" pubs I don't know. A pub is a pub is a pub. I do think the new FAB bar sounds great and definitely will give it a go, but would not frequent on a regular basis or it just gets boring. I do however wish Adam all the best with this. HI love thanks ive got 6djs a different one for every nite where open so its not the same music in a set every nite and got loads of caberet coming up this is the old place where lilly savage and take that started off where going to try and put sheffield back on the map like it used to be i even saw divine eartha kitt /london boys sinita/bananarama/boney m/hazel dean / there just to mention a few the club is coming on realy well thanks ADAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyranna Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 The main obstacle that Sheffield will have in creating a Gay village is that all the LGBT venues are very much scattered throughout the city, with not even a small 'cluster' of LGBT venues/establishments in the same area, such as you get in Nottingham or Leicester. While the reopening of the Planet is great news, it will maintain a very scattered pattern of venues in the city; the nearest to FAB is Club Xes, and nearby also is the Bronx, but that is still several streets away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meaks Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 It would be an ideal time for someone to reopen the Bar-Celona (under a new name one would hope). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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