QUEER WORD
GAYBOURHOOD

What it means:

A gaybourhood is a part of a city known for its significant LGBTQ+ population, culture, and businesses. These neighbourhoods often act as social, political, and cultural hubs for queer communities, offering a sense of belonging, safety, and pride.

Let's Use It In A Sentence:

Devon has had precisely three hours of sleep since moving to the gaybourhood two weeks ago - turns out, drag brunches, late-night hookups, and queer karaoke don't leave much time for rest.

Should We Retire Names Like 'Gaybourhood' and 'Gay Village'?

Is it time to rethink the way we name queer spaces like Gaybourhood and Gay Village?

I’m…… not sure.

I do fundamentally believe we should be having open conversations about renaming historically male-centric queer areas—think names like Boystown and Gay Village.

Changing these names could help make queer neighbourhoods more inclusive, representative, and welcoming for everyone.

And yet... there’s something that doesn’t sit quite right with me about the whole idea.

Why Rename Queer Neighbourhoods?

At first glance, the idea seems totally obvious. Updating names could better reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and help break free from outdated, narrow representations.

But after sitting with my thoughts (and after some extensive Googling to see what others have to say on the matter), I’ve come away feeling more, not less, dubious.

Let me explain why.

Who's Driving the Push for Renaming?

From what I’ve uncovered, there seem to be two main groups pushing for these changes:

• Activists – passionate about inclusivity, community cohesion, and ensuring our spaces reflect everyone, not just one part of the queer spectrum.

• Local business associations – eager to make commercial districts more attractive to broader (read: straighter, more affluent) audiences.

I have zero qualms with the first group. In fact, I think we need more activism and more disruption to move us forward as a community.

It’s the second group that sets my spider senses tingling.

Sure, they use all the comforting language - Inclusiveness! Openness! Togetherness! - but I can’t help wondering if the real motivation is economic, not communal.

Are New Names Erasing Queer Identity?

In cities where name changes have already happened, the replacements feel... disappointingly generic:

• Montreal’s Gay Village ➔ The Village

• Philadelphia’s Gaybourhood ➔ Midtown Village

• Chicago’s Boystown ➔ Northalsted

Notice anything missing?

None of these new names directly honour the queer communities who found refuge here, fought for these spaces, and shaped their character.

Could it be that these changes are less about making spaces more inclusive - and more about making them more palatable for non-queer visitors and investors?

Maybe I’m being overly cynical. Maybe.

But there’s something unsettling about ‘solutions’ that seem to erase identity instead of expanding it.

What Happens to Names Born from Community?

One of my biggest reservations is that these original names, flawed as they may be, often came about organically.

They weren’t brainstormed in boardrooms or beta-tested with focus groups.
They emerged from happenstance, magic, and community spirit.

Trying to force new names feels, frankly, sterile.

Like nothing more than a box-ticking exercise.

You can’t change culture and community just by sending out a press release.

People need to feel bought in—they need to want the change for it to stick.

Where Do We Go From Here?

So the big questions are:

• How do you take people on that journey of change?

• How do you win hearts and minds without losing history?

• And is it even possible to come up with a new name that feels organic, inclusive, and meaningful to all parts of our beautiful, messy, vibrant community?

(For what it's worth, my dream inclusive name is Queer Alley - but I know it would never take off.)

Final Thoughts: Queer Spaces Deserve More Than Rebranding

Renaming queer spaces is a conversation worth having. But we need to be honest about who benefits, what is lost, and how we honour the rich, complicated histories that got us here in the first place.

A name change alone won’t make a space more inclusive—but it might erase some of the stories that made it matter.