Often overlooked, but ever-present, is Buffalo’s gay scene. Once again Torontonians are tuning into Buffalo’s underground scene – a scene that might not be as underground as we may believe. This past summer I was talking to a couple of women after the Pride Festival who told me that they don’t judge the alternative scene in Buffalo by the number of gay bars (as they once did). The reason? Being a bit older, the one woman expressed that they enjoy the freedom to pick and choose any public bar or restaurant to frequent, unlike in years past when they only felt welcome and comfortable in alternative designated establishments. In those days many gays would sport an identifiable tattoo on a part of the body, that would then be covered up by clothing or an accessory such as a watch when not in a gay-friendly club.
Times are much different today, and although Buffalo may not be the most gay-friendly city around, I believe that our city has come a long way. Apparently there is a writer for Toronto’s Outlooks Magazine who feels the same way. In a recent travel article, Bryen Dunn wrote about spending a weekend in Buffalo, starting with a Megabus ride to the Avant, before heading over to Allentown to investigate the restaurant scene and the alternative bars. What I like most about this article is that there were so many mentions of destinations other than the regular go-tos. Of course Elmwood was covered, but so was Grant Street and Amherst Street (at least with mentions of being up and coming neighborhoods). Accessibility to everything and getting around the city was a big plus, with most everything easy to get to. There were a couple of architecture mentions, yet most of the article painted a picture of a city on the rise, filled with arts, food and great shopping. Best of all, the shopping that Bryen made note of was the independent boutiques, and not the malls… and for that, we thank him!
These are assets that anyone would want to check out, regardless of being gay or straight. Obviously Bryen had an enjoyable experience, and considering that the title of the article was ‘The Gay Buffalo Weekend: Beyond Cheap Shopping’, I would assume that he looked out for telltale signs as to the gay-friendly climate of our city. Ultimately, he came away with nothing but praise.
Look for the article on pages 31,32 and 33.