Flagrantly Flaunting It?

SUMMARY

The city of Vancouver has two overtly identified gay and lesbian areas: West-end, primarily perceived to be associated with men, and East-end, mostly identified with lesbians; thus, where the gender-ization of space and the sexualization of space converge, the urban lesbian and gay landscape is often gendered by spatial association. In reality, however, lesbian and gay enclaves exist outside these more popular locations and beyond the city peripheries and these two specific locations are not as neatly ordered as their mythical simplicity might suggest. This research explores the construction of lesbian spaces in metro Vancouver through extensive research which began during summer 1996, and the perceptions and expectations of lesbians living in both the East-end and the West-end of Vancouver will be examined. This introductory paper provides a discussion on the opposing views of lesbians in Vancouver expressed in the survey which explode commonly held myths and stereotypes of lesbians in the East-end and the West-end. In essence, lesbian residents hold opinions of the lesbians residing in the “other” community which have political and ideological implications.

Key Words:

• Lesbian
• community
• space
• Vancouver

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jenny Lo

Jenny Lo is currently completing her Master'S of Science at the University of Northern British Columbia in the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Geography Programme. Her thesis research focuses on the service needs of women in resource-based communities in Northern British Columbia. She is also conducting research on economic restructuring and its impact on forest dependent communities.

Theresa Healy

Theresa Healy is currently completing her PhD in history at Simon Fraser University. Her dissertation focuses on the realities of women and families on relief in the 1930s. She is also currently employed as a sessional instructor in both the History and Women'S Studies Programmes at the University of Northern British Columbia. She also works as the Executive Director of the Community Planning Council in Prince George and is involved with research on the quality of life in Prince George, which has included a survey on this issue for lesbians, gays and bisexuals.