On the Gay Village

Perfect timing as it started to rain and I immediately caught a RENFE train back to Barcelona.

Gay villages such as Sitges, Provincetown, Fire Island... what is their origin? Cause? Role? Is it something about the weather, scenery, and laid back, coastal attitude?

Versus urban gay villages such as Manchester...

The gay of the art gallery and seaside terrace versus the gay of the industrial warehouse turned dive bar or dance club.

Las night an Irish lesbian was extolling her love for Manchester´s "scene". And I thought of Robert S, old boss, who knew of Manchester because of its International gay reputation. And not the brands of football , Indie music, or Ale.

And I think of the travel guides that exist only for the realm of the gay traveler and the gay destinatino.

Truly the gay pull of a place, as a place to live, recreate in, or both - is every bit as important as a global index, as an economic bragging right, as any other? Florida and others have hinted at this but not truly explored it.

I believe that gay itself has the potential to transform and invigorate at an even greater scale than football, music, or science and technology.

This 10 percent of the population, but a bigger chunk of the affluent, mobile group, spanning nationalities but united in their ability to spend and party, is powerful.

Is manchester´s gay allure, at global level, its one true saving grace? Might it be a more powerful driver than other outputs and initiatives?

And conversely, what do cities stand to lose without this allure, or even with a negative reputation? Places that are avoided by the gay dollar? Are they doomed?