We've seen it happen in Chelsea. In San Francisco. In Ft. Lauderdale. The gays move in, revitalize a downtrodden neighborhood, bring in the Design Within Reaches and Pottery Barns, and after just a couple decades manage to raise property values so quickly, the locals are priced out of their own neighborhood. Just kidding. Sort of. Actually, the typical scenario is the straight families move in and the gays find a new 'hood to care for. From St. Petersburg, Florida, comes news of one phase of the scenario: gays and locals (wait, aren't they the same?) are clashing. While the entire community basks in higher property values, better schools, falling crime rates, and more window treatment options, not everyone wants the gay community's reach to extend, you know, into the community.

But in St. Petersburg, a city that historically likes the thought of being a small town, the increasing presence of the gay community has produced awkward interactions:

* A lesbian running for the City Council was publicly criticized at a candidate forum last year for being gay.
* Popular two-term mayor Rick Baker has refused to sign a proclamation recognizing the city’s June gay pride parade. He will not attend the event.
* Local elected leaders, told that marketing the area as “gay-friendly” could be a financial winner, instead worried that the idea could turn off families.

Is St. Petersburg intolerant? Are the city’s elected leaders out of touch with the community, or at least unwilling to accept a part of it? Will gay men and women already here respond, or leave?

Perhaps the answer can be found in Virgina, where intolerance is leading some gay men and women to disembark. Real estate agents there are pointing to recent homophobic legislation to explain the depature of portions of the gay community. And if St. Petersburg politicos and community leaders don't take note of the contributions its gay citizens make, locals might see their once vibrant areas return to the boarded up shacks they're so pleased to see gone.

How a city grows gay-friendly [St. Petersburg Times]
Some gays leave Virginia feeling unwelcome [AP]