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• Friday, September 8, 2006 06:32 AM

  Interesting article

  And I wouldn't be surprised if one expanded beyond SF to find this is a trend elsewhere. New Hope, PA, which is near where my partner and I live, used to have two lesbian/feminist-oriented bookstores. There also used to be 3 gay/lesbian bars. Neither of the bookstores remain; only one of the gay bars remains--and it's always been predominately gay. (One of the others burnt down and has not been rebuilt; the other was demolished and replaced with a bank.)

  But, truth be told, we're honestly not into bars and dancing as much as we used to with either a) we were single or b)in the early stages of dating. I've a feeling we're just part of the changing dynamics within the community: we're now in our 40s and prefer to spend our disposal income on other things, including our motorcycles, continuing education, etc. Our Friday nights are often spent having dinner out, going for a ride, reading.

  As to new business opportunities, hmmm. Good question. If someone were to open a new bookstore that offered Starbucks-like seating, coffee/tea, etc., and a mix of "alternative" and mainstream books, sure. (And I'm not talking about the megastores that just pay lipservice to offering LGBT titles.) Or a place like The Barefoot Sage in Oregon (or Washington, forgive my forgetfulness), which offers foot massages in a "living room"-like atmosphere. Do they have to be exclusively lesbian? No, just strongly gay-friendly.

  I'd like to know what other Salon readers think.

  —RatherBRidin' Read RatherBRidin''s other letters
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