It could be part of a story of victory - claiming the history with pride, while also arguing that Houston's inclusiveness means a specific gay neighborhood is no longer necessary.
Today, however, there's a sense among some Houstonians that this is no longer the case.įor real estate folks, the narrative of Montrose being formerly gay - but not anymore - could help them add a bit of historical character and a trendy narrative to the area, while still sanitizing the present image of the neighborhood, which sometimes was at odds with gay bars in the area, Riedel said. In the 1980s, the historic neighborhood had a significant LGBT population, and for many years, the area was at the center for gay culture in Houston. 'I'm always interested in why histories become voiced in the present day,' said Riedel, recognizing that different groups have different interests in both remembering Montrose's gay history and declaring the place today a more mainstream neighborhood. Almost as regularly, he hears people declare that the historic Houston neighborhood is no longer gay.
Brian Riedel, assistant director of Rice University's Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, says he gets that question regularly.
