In London, more than 10 have pulled down their shutters permanently since 2010. Many western cities have nonetheless been faced recently with an epidemic of LGBT business closures. Despite the myth of gay affluence, LGBT households are actually more likely to be poor Amin Ghaziani LGBT bars and clubs have been said to have had a catalytic effect in encouraging a wealthier public back to areas such as London’s Soho or New York’s East Village. There is often a corresponding wave among businesses. This LGBT long march through the inner cities is not about housing alone, of course. Their very presence in these areas, however, has allegedly transformed them, accelerating gentrification – and in turn pricing them out. Seeking both an accepting community and affordable rent, they have often flocked together in cheaper areas of inner cities, such as gay-friendly Williamsburg. In many ways, the 29-year-old’s experience is typical of a host of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender city-dwellers.
