But as the neighborhood changes-with a new name, “Midtown Village,” and new projects like the $400 million retail and residential development, East Market-some longtime residents wonder if its first identity is in danger of slipping away. Those places were mostly found in the city’s Gayborhood, which was then full of LGBTQ-focused bars, restaurants, private clubs, and gathering spaces: safe havens for a group of people with few other spaces to call home. Instead, young queer Philadelphians had to call the community center to get information from the booklet about places to meet other members of the community. The cards, which date to the 1970s, tell the story of a more dangerous time for queer men and women-a time when gay-friendly resources, community centers, businesses, and bars weren’t listed in the yellow pages. Others list running groups for lesbians (“Frontrunners”) and bike groups for gay men. One card holds the number for a suicide hotline, another for a lawyer who specializes in helping gay men who are being blackmailed and harassed. The booklet, with cards directing young queer people to LGBTQ-focused spaces in and around the Gayborhood.
