Gay Globalisation

The title of gay capital of the world is not limited to a single fixed location. Instead, it has become more of a travelling circus. For although san francisco was once the capital, Amsterdam may have held the title for a while, and Berlin and Sydney have both labelled themselves gay capitals at some point. It seems that, nowadays, these capitals have relocated to places that, only a few years ago, would not have stood a chance of qualifying for this title. These places include: Cape town, Buenos aires, Manila and Mexico city.

The closing ceremony of the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney was a very informal affair, with most of the participants seated in the sun, wearing one or two medals and nursing party hangovers. The torch was handed over to Montréal, the sponsors and politicians were duly thanked, the mayor gave a speech and a...