voyager12

As an example of Charlotte's mix of cultures, there is a house on Old Statesville near the Metrolina Racetrack that has two big Confederate flags on the porch. Around the corner is Scotborough which was marketed to gay couples and has rainbow flags.

I used to the live in Philly too. Charlotte it ain't The city admin has actually designated a section of the city the "gayborhood" with rainbow accents on the street signs. It can feel a little Potemkin but it's an example of a very different worldview. And they have a comprehensive marketing campaign aimed the LGBT traveler. The head of Charlotte's CVB has stated on the record that we are not "ready" for that here. Charlotte is such a money town and they shrug off the very lucrative GLBT travel market. Our loss. I am no expert on all aspects of the community here but there is no lack of very successful gay people in the upper echelons of the Charlotte establishment. Some closeted and some not. Regardless of orientation most people here like to maintain a smiling facade and go with the flow. Marching with our motley crew through Uptown doing a pride march would not go over to well at Myers Park Country Club or in the car pool lane at Charlotte Country Day. Some of these people have quietly used their influence for much good. And the Wesley Mancini Foundation does great work along with a GLBT fund dedicated to our issues at Foundation for the Carolinas. But we are not ground zero for on the street demonstrations. That's why I have taken trips to Chapel Hill and Asheville in the past to get my activist fix. But this is slowly changing with the creation of Charlotte Rainbow Action Network, we don't do weekly activites but our occasional events have gone pretty well so far. Although I need to take a break. I get so annoyed listening to the idiocy of our opponents that I lose my cool, which probably hurts more than it helps at times

I have long loathed that ugly bunker of a building next to PaperSkyscraper. Clearly it was built before there was any type of review process in Dilworth. It looks some top secret intelligence headquarters with the narrow windows and 24/7 gated parking. Anyone know what type of business is in there? And what was on the site before this prison was built? Noticed that the former Quiznos/SS space is under renovation for the E. Blvd Grill's move. I guess they got a little delayed. Their food is not outstanding but it's a good place to go on a nice evening. It will be a shame when it goes dark. That stretch of East has the best vibe in the neighborhood, and all that money was spent making East more ped friendly...grumble grumble grumble On the other hand LP will get another needed boost. When Cantina moves next year the impact will really be felt. According to the latest Dilworth Quarterly, CMC considers Caribou/Brueggers an "amenity" so it's safe for now.

Actually UNC Charlotte's GLBT group is one of the driving forces behind local activism. But they don't have the same impact as UNC and Duke have had on their communities. I think part of the reason is the school's completely disengaged location lost in sprawl from the core. The diversity of their student body has had limited impact on the center of town.That will be somewhat ameliorated by their rockin cool future satellite buidling. Not the same as having a fullly engaged urban campus though. Also, top ranked schools have the clout and prestige to draw people that are generally progressive and that translates into the towns that surround them. Different vibe from a banking center. Although Hugh McColl who is idolized here has long been a steadfast if not loudly public supporter of ours.

I generally agree with Charlotte Native in the day to day living one's life sense. In my almost 5 years in Charlotte I have only been hit with one severe phobic verbal tirade. Which was brought on by this motorist's anger about my supposedly cutting him off. But I am a good driver. Everyone else is the problem Aside from the occasional glare, nasty comment, joke or just the innate sense one can get that I am not welcome ,it's old news for me by now. Living in the South this long....it rolls off like water off a duck's back. To use a Southern term even! It's mark of how far we have come even in NC, that it's become more socially unacceptable to be openly homophobic. What I hear is that Charlotte is mainly focused on consumption, a bigger house, bigger car, bigger job and the mindset just does not care much about social justice issues. Certainly the various groups I have joined and events we have are usually attended by the same small core. This lack of interest contributes to the slow going on local equality issues. Our opponents remain steadfast against us because we don't come out in force. So our elected "supporters" are then given cover to give us lip service in private and say nothing on the record, since there is no downside to them stalling on us. Of course there is the money angle. I hear that MECKPAC is going to be tougher in demanding action in this election before endorsing or donating to the same do nothing candidates for City Council. Hope so. We need more cohesion. To that end the Community Center is holding it's first Community Roundtable on June 23 at 7pm. Discussion is the point but attendees are welcome to listen and no pressure to join in. Doors open at 6:30 and the event will run from 7-9. Bring your own snacks and drinks to share!

That is a funny sticker CN. I don't have it but it's good to know that there are a few other sticker freaks around. I think we need all types of activism to keep moving forward. Since we span a wide array of groups, we all have different approaches. Simply being out and honest is the best way to be. Denying oneself is so unhealthy. Certainly the crazy stories about closeted husbands with kids and affairs I hear around town boggle my mind and are sad. Of course coming out of the closet is a different journey for us all and some never open the door. I favor the more in your face route because I am a political junkie in general ,my orientation is still a political issue in this era so I feel the need to be more visible. Any intelligent person should be able to discern that I don't represent the entire gay community. Well at least in Dilworth... the gay couples next door and behind me don't decorate their cars. Bad Bad Gays they are. What's wrong with them? But they are just as "out" as I. Just not in a rainbow way I get good natured ribbing from friends about my car but to be fair the majority are not even gay related. Mostly music and school stickers. I guess since we are still a "hot button" issue they stand out. I am rambling on........unlike much of the South there are more gay friendly areas of NC I could move to. And some days when I get frustrated by the pace here the grass does look greener. OTOH, being in a conservative area our victories as slow and intermitttent as they come...feel more meaningful than being in a gay friendlier bubble and looking out.

Plenty of gays still in NoDa...actually to me it seems like the girls have the advantage. All in all NoDa and PlazaMidwood have done admirable jobs in maintaining and expanding upon the local vibe that makes the hoods so popular. I do have to retract my opinion of the Davy Apts. Caught a Craiglist ad and they are going for $975. I know "affordable" is different for everyone but that's definitely out of my range. And while the complex looks nice it's not a stunner and wonder if the interior is worth it. I guess it's location near all the amenities is a large factor. Just a little farther out though, Highland Mill is still leasing in the mid 7s. Aside from that the options for moderate apts are pretty scarce. There are older complexes leading out to Plaza but that stretch gets sketchy very fast.

I hope the place succeeds. That corner of Uptown needs a lot of TLC. Hopefully it will not hurt the local joints to a fatal degree. Live Nation does not have the most stellar marketing reputation. The endgame is supposed to include residential. As mentioned in the article that component is critical for longterm viability so it can one day transistion into a real interconnected neighborhood. Might be a cool place to live, but one hopes the soundproofing in the theoretical future condos will be well insulated

When I read things like that ^ yes. They also have a Facebook page up but I did not feel like checking it out. Something tells me that there might not be "thousands" of attendees. But we shall see. It's certainly their right to express their beliefs. Charlotte does seem singularly blessed ( insert sarcasm) with an entrenched opposition not found in other large metros in the region. I have been to various events besides Pride in the triad,triangle,columbia and in the mountains. By and large they don't have groups counterprogramming every single gay related event they hold. And their city administrations support their events with promotion and appearances. Two years ago Jennifer Roberts spoke to us but that's been it. Susan Burgess had her campaign set up a booth but she never showed up in person. That would have been too supportive. Tonya Jameson recently had an article in the O profiling Owen Sutkowski. He said some of his "supporters" had told him to stay closeted and not answer personal questions during his campaign for City Council. He obviously disagreeed but defended their motivation and is not planning on including any references to equal rights in his platform. I can understand his viewpoint.But given the glaring absence of any inclusive local ordinances in this city regarding our equality, I think he has an obligation to point this inequity out in the context of what we need to move this city forward. I don't think this a "radical left wing" or "divisive" approach but that's what treating gay people equal is considered in this "world class city". Sad.

Found this info on Pam's House Blend this AM. It's a top ranked LGBT blog by Pam Spaulding based out of Durham. I check it every day. Looks like our local opponents have come up with a new idea to "save" us. On the upside maybe this means we won't have people screaming bible verses at us. Most likely that will still happen along with this new event. JOIN US FOR A HISTORIC RALLY IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE ON JULY 25TH! GOD HAS A BETTER WAY! What This rally is a Spirit-birthed response to Charlotte's annual gay pride event. More than one thousand believers will be gathering to worship the Lord, intercede in prayer, and proclaim that "God Has a Better Way"! Nothing like this has ever been done in conjunction with a gay pride event in any city before, and those who join together on this day will be part of history in the making. Who Everyone can be involved! If you love Jesus and are walking with Him, then you qualify. We need worshipers, intercessors, musicians, soul-winners, walkers, talkers, and believers of every age, color, and size to stand together as a prophetic witness to our society. Everything we do will be law-abiding, safe, and honoring to the Lord in spirit and in word. Why We have a unique opportunity to make an impact in our city that will be felt around the country. In the last five years, gay activism in Charlotte has been confronted with compassion and truth, and we have seen significant changes take place. In January, 2009, Focus on the Family's Citizen magazine carried a story called, "Something New in Charlotte," highlighting the work that has been in done in Charlotte and pointing to it as a model for other cities. We can send a wave of encouragement to our brothers and sisters across the nation!

I was walking past Fat City Lofts this AM and was wondering about the two weedy and boarded up buildings across the way. Seem to have been in that state for quite awhile. Anyone know the backstory? Would be great to see new life and additional retail one day. Those spots could give a good boost of energy to that end of the block.

To echo Monsoon's point about lack of visibility in Charlotte, several speakers at our recent march mentioned those who wanted to attend but could not risk being seen on camera or in any media for fear of losing their job. This is still a problem nationwide but it's more acute in conservative areas. I snagged a flyer today promoting "Rainbow Fest" in NoDa celebrating Stonewall's Anniversary. I thought it was more of an open air public street fair. In actuality the program is limited to the Salvador Deli courtyard and Alive @ Highland Mill. The advance entry fee is $20 and $30 day of. I know it's a business venture and they need to make some money, hope they do well but I am definitely taking a pass. A little too pricey for me. I can personally reflect on this day, cost free.

I think it's hard to deny that the Iowa decision in our favor marked a major turning point in the gay rights struggle from a national perspective. I certainly felt a shift. And the the string of victories ( we will get back CA in time) including today in New Hampshire has continued to power our momentum. Would like to think that this positive change can filter down to the local level here in Charlotte. I suppose just having the conversation and getting increasing notice of our issues is a good step in and of itself. It's certainly a frustrating slog and one gets irritated when traveling to other growing and aspiring cities where these questions are responded to with shock that we are so far behind. It seems that more value is put on "seeming" than "being" in this town. A reluctance to really engage. I think too many people believe that everything gay related was resolved in our favor after the Angels in America funding decision was reversed. But the fear to take a strong public stand for gay Charlotteans is still palpable on City Council. Meanwhile, the County Commission is expected to vote and most likely pass DP benefits in late summer and early fall. Maybe this will inspire....I ain't banking on it though. Definitely no pun intended.

Thank you for the info! I actually submitted the question regarding DP's but was too jaded from past interactions to go to cltblog and find the answer. His answer on employee policies is a good sign, would have to see how it played out with others if he wins. And I expected eqivocation on benefits. It fits with what I have heard from others. Lassiter responded to an email of mine stating that he has no position on these issues. How concise and clear of him

I agree and realize that this request was purely symbolic. Our Council has not been able to muster even rudimentary protections, I know they are not going to become traliblazers on marriage. And the only NC towns that have approved it so far are very liberal and different from Charlotte. But I still always go to these meetings hoping against hope that there will be a breakthrough. And come away invariably disillusioned and angry. Employee non-discrimination does seem like a good starting point. Appeals to basic fairness I think. But the City Manager and City Atty are implacably opposed to it and DP's because the NC constitution does not explicitly allow for such laws. They think our only recourse is to lobby Raleigh. Whjich is a non-starter and an excuse to ignore us I think. Much of the Triangle, Guilford County, Winston Salem etc have had these ordinances on the books for years and years. These metros and counties have taken the view that there is no law in the state explicitly against these laws so they moved ahead with passage and have never been challenged. City Manager Morgan also threw in Syfert's lame "we can't afford" it excuse for good measure. Maybe there is support on Council but they never seem to be willing to stand up to the City Manager. And I don't see Foxx or Lassiter being advocates for us after the election.

You are right about that. They only gave the spokesman 4 minutes. Well 3 because they were so benevolent and gave him an extra one. At the end of the speech he asked for feedback and no one on Council said anything. So McCrory ( in interests of full disclosure I don't like him so this is biased) gave his usual smarmy " I appreciate your time". I said " sure you appreciate, sure you do" and everyone shushed me so I left and walked out. It was such BS. They are all such cowards. I really wanted to go on but decided to save my breath. I don't expect them to ever bring this up for a vote in formal session regardless of who is Mayor or the composition of Council. Glad that we have made progress on the school board and county level but City Council is just a pathetic joke that never changes.

Good question......but I was under the impression that this is in the form of a petition that has moved around the state and has not been proposed by a Council member. Guess we will find out tonight.

So our marriage equality march through Uptown last Friday was a big success! We had a great turnout and walked from the gvt ctr and down Tryon to the Square past Epicentre and back. Got several beeps of support. Most people on the street and those in restaurants looked more confused than anything else. This town is not much into such activism but I am glad that with CRANE that this is beginning to change. Tonight at 7pm the City Council has to address the marriage equality resolution placed on the agenda. I hope we get at least a vote or two, Foxx and Lassiter won't touch with a ten foot pole and the rest will probably be just as cowardly. But we shall see.

It will be interesting to see....Niche, Blacksheep, etc helped to create Camden's more alt vibe and I think the scene will get preppier as the new complexes fill up. OTOH the independent retailers on the block have done a great job hosting joint parties and funky art shows through word of mouth that have proven popular with hipsters. Although no one ever wants to be called a hipster or a preppie Hopefully we will have a nice mix for awhile. Common Market seems to do a good job of bringing everyone together.

I tend to like neighborhoods with more local flavor and have mumble grumbled about change but as has been pointed out, nothing stays the same. By and large the new developments have been respectful of the NoDa's scale and character. Owners of retail along the main drag go out of their way to turn down chains in order to keep the businesses locally owned and interesting. The residents association is very grass roots and is always coming up with new green friendly collaborative projects and festivals. The housing stock in NoDa does seems to lack many of the quads and old apt buildings that have enabled people like me to rent affordably in Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, and Elizabeth. The recently constructed Davy Apts is a good move in that regard. A linchpin was the mill revitalization. It's a shame that the Tuscan rehab is comatose. I think their plan to integrate affordable housing and artist space would be great for preserving the area's heritage. It's inevitable that some of the grittiness will be lost along the way. And it's equally true that as Charlotte Native pointed out, there is a lot about the "good ole days" that were not so good.

Important events coming up, help to spread the word and join in! Protest for Marriage Equality Friday, May 29, 5:30 p.m. Rally at Marshall Park (5:30 p.m.) March through Uptown to gvt ctr (6:15 p.m.) City Council Marriage Resolution Monday, June 1, 7:00 p.m. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center (Meet in Lobby at 7 p.m.) On June 1, a resolution in support of marriage equality in North Carolina will be presented to the Charlotte City Council. This same resolution has already been approved by Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Durham. We want you and your friends, family and colleagues to be there to support the resolution as it is presented. Join us at the City Council

Reminder about tomorrow.......Owen Sutkowski will announce his candidacy for Charlotte City Council District 1 on Thursday, May 28th, 6:30p.m., at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, 911 East Morehead Street, located at the corner of East Morehead and South McDowell Street

I gained a new perspective on apt rates here over the weekend. Went to New York and saw again the cramped living quarters of most of my friends. Yeah you are in the middle of everything but to me it's not worth the three roommates, rationing food, etc etc. I love cities but think i am a smaller to midsize urbanite in the end. I too have noticed the vacant warehouses and other eminently reusable commercial space near the new complexes in Southend. Great spots for new stores and services in the future, hopefully not too far into the future....

I go by Ashton almost daily and it's pretty dead. I know they are offering deals and the building is loaded with amenities but it's still pretty pricey. I imagine Circle and Spectrum will do better with the college grads. Their rent is more reasonable. If you want to live in Southend/Dilworth on a budget and don't mind old buildings and no frills, you just need to drive around and look for indivdiual For Rent signs on the quads. Or look under rentals on Craigslist. There are several 1 bdrs in the 6s and a few in the 5s, they go fast, and again you get what you rent for, it's not "luxury living", it's "character" and "soul". I have found it so much easier dealing directly with local landlords. The rental agencies app process is ridiculous, thought I was applying for college again. And they try and nail you with all kinds of process fees. No thanks.

I just crossed the raging waters of the mighty Sugar Creek on the new bridge! It's very well done in my opinion. The side view incorporating the creek and the skyline is cool. Very convenient for me to go back and forth to TJ's even more. That may not be such a good thing...