Nearly a dozen residents in the city of Pharr, TX have petitioned to change the name of “Gay Drive” because, well, it’s a little too gay for them.
Resident Maria Villarreal and her husband, Mel, have lived on the quiet street for more than 40 years.
“We’re happy here. That’s why we’ve never moved,” she tells Valley Central News.
But there’s one thing that has always bothered them: Their street’s name.
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“The word ‘gay’ used to be a word that the meaning was being jolly, being happy,” Mel lamented. “Now they’ve added another meaning to it and they define themselves as gay people.”
He continued, “I don’t have anything against gay people, it’s just that it has that meaning.”
Now, four decades after moving onto the block, she and her husband have launched a petition to change the street’s name to “Los Unicos Street” after a band Mr. Villarreal used to play in way back when.
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Eleven other residents of Gay Drive signed the petition, but it was ultimately struck down in a 6-1 vote by the Pharr City Commission, who said altering in the street’s name could affect emergency services.
Beatriz Gonzalez, who originally signed the Villarreal’s petition said that, on second thought, she’s glad City commissioners voted against the change.
“Everybody might have to change all their paperwork, you know, all their documents,” she said.
But the Villarreals say they aren’t giving up yet. They plan to continue pursuing the name change. Their latest suggestion is to find a way to combine the words “Gay” and “Los Unicos.”
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John Malin
Jesus, are you ignorant bigots just f#cking nuts, or what?
Erin Capuano
I vote for Betty Bottom Drive.
David Chachki
Nope.sorry 🙂
Tobi
Like “Los Unicos”, an Argentinian superhero team, isn’t more gay?
Bryguyf69
Ok, I can understand their homophobic stance against “Gay,” but what’s this obsession with “Los Unicos”? Combining “gay” with “Lois unicos”… really?!?! Sounds like a little ego thing going on where Mel is longing for his youth.
Bryguyf69
For what it’s worth, NYC has a Gay St, right in the heart of the West Village. Amazingly, the name has nothing to do with homosexuality but has become somewhat of a tourist attraction. It leads to Christopher St, and is only a block away from The Stonewall Inn. It’s a charming little street, only about a block long, reminiscent of the Old World. The street even has its own Wikipedia entry.
http://gvshp.org/blog/2012/10/10/is-gay-street-really-gay/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d615506-Reviews-Gay_Street-New_York_City_New_York.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbfdJynlnFU
Noel Hoklin
Rimyurass Place
Chris Duffy
……who wrote in “Ryan Seacrest Drive”? Kind of a lateral move, no?
Jeff Hill
It also says ‘dead end’ which is weird.
1EqualityUSA
Breeder Blvd
Jesse Cerna
I come from that part of TX (rgv-valley) people down there have nothing better to do.also a bunch of closeted homophobesm just saying. …
Justin Weeks
Good luck with a losing battle
Joe Eugene
A town in California did this in 1999. (The yellow highlights are my online search terms.)
Gerald GeeLocke Panuthos
idiots
Glücklich
@Jesse Cerna:
I thought that might be the case. Doing the math, forty years in the same house… folks’re probably retirees so too much time on their hands.
Meronda Trainor
Should probably be more concerned with sounding like a juvenile asshole than a “homosexual”. Idiots.
Patrick Cremeans
Don’t they not know Gay is an incredibly common first AND last name, AND a synonym for happy?
Gary Podschun
This is what happens when people have WAY TOO MUCH TIME on their hands.
Patrick Laney
Gay means happy you idiots…
Louie Mars
…Homo Lane?…
Bryguyf69
NYC also has an intersection where Seaman Ave meets Cumming Street.
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/i-live-on-seaman-just-after-cumming-6425406
http://1.media.collegehumor.cvcdn.com/53/32/03fa932343a2fe3d33b2d09a8c69b8b8.jpg
Louie Mars
Butt Blvd?
Louie Mars
Sea Men Street?
Louie Mars
Sodomite Drive?
Louie Mars
Gaylord Alley?
Captain Obvious
Of course it’s Texas. Somehow I knew before I read it.
Carlos Zuniga
Glory Hole Ave has a ring to it!
1EqualityUSA
Santorum Circle
Errol Semple
Homo Drive.
Barry Spradling
I’m going with Vagisil Lane.
CWM85
This reminds me of my mom who won’t even say the this street called, “gay street.” In fact my moms church is on gay street. LOL
Charlie Daniel Robbins
Jeffrey Thomas
How about Elton Lane or Cher Drive or Fabulous Way?
Gartholomew Nichols
Hahahaha oh my god that’s hilarious! 😀
Kevin J Desmond
How about Hersey Highway ?
Kevin J Desmond
Better yet .. Fudge Packer Parkway
Michael Czogalla
Oh man, let’s all breathe for a minute. I’m gay and I don’t want to live in a street named gay, hetero, or desire! Let them change the street name, who cares.
martinbakman
Los Unicorns
Barb Kipper
Maybe they would prefer ROMP Road…just sayin’ OMG, I didn’t evn think of this before I saw the text of the word. Someone would immediately change the O to U. My bad.
Jane Cain
So silly. We are that sensitive? Wow
Valerie Anderson
How stupid!
1EqualityUSA
Latent Lane
trell
Just call it Homophobe avenue. I’m sure the residents would be delighted.
Jerry Hoover
I think Texas is becoming more and more homophobic every day
Poloboy50
It’s not like it says Homosexual Drive.
Michael Martinez
How about, Queen Street?
1EqualityUSA
Sex Drive.
Leon Duguay
Perfect change it to HAPPY St 😉 makes sense gay = hapiness 🙂
simonreg
Here in the UK, we have gone one step further (of course). In the historic city of Bath, you can walk down ‘Gay Street’ and end up in ‘Queen Square’… hurrah!
Jacob Owen Burger
It’s the corner of you and me. 🙂 Gennie Bell
Terrycloth
Gay street I’m assuming parking in the rear ?
robho3
This is hilarious !
onthemark
There is a Sodom Road in rural Westport, MA, a pretty town on the coast. Some colonial Puritan must have named it that, but I wonder why.
And I hope Cam is reading this – how about Heteroflexible Drive? lolololol.
Bauhaus
@onthemark:
Queen and Princess in my neck of the woods. I’ve taken a wrong turn here and there and ended-up on Heteroflexable Drive… It’s always been easy for me to find my way back to Hershey Highway.
Glücklich
Docking Drive
Taint Trail
Popper Place
1EqualityUSA
Flagrante Delicto Drive
1EqualityUSA
Coitus Pike…ew.