"Do you live on Spruce Street or are you straight?" The Boundaries of Philadelphia's Gayborhood and the Production of Queer Identities

Author

Lauren Elisabeth Manley, Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

10-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Sarah E. Chinn

Subject Categories

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | United States History

Abstract

This thesis is an examination of queer residential and socializing patterns in Philadelphia during the 1930s through 1950s, and discussion of the relationships between geographic space, social location, and queer identity. The production and maintenance of the neighborhood known as the Gayborhood participated in the construction of a "gay" identity that was race, class, and gender specific. This specific identity formulation was maintained and mobilized by various groups for their own sense of identity and community building. Looking at other neighborhoods that also had significant queer residential and socializing populations during this period, I interrogate concepts such as identity, community, and visibility, as well as discussing the social factors involved in these geographic separations.

Recommended Citation

Manley, Lauren Elisabeth, ""Do you live on Spruce Street or are you straight?" The Boundaries of Philadelphia's Gayborhood and the Production of Queer Identities" (2014). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/363