Decline of gay communities? Yeah, I should think so. For all the reasons outlined in the article. Just as the acceptance of marijuana smoking is now distributed across many different societal strata leading to the decline (except for ole Nimbin) of previous so-called "hippy" areas.

What I find of more interest and hugely ironic, is the laagering in of the elderly. Many of the Old Guard, still expostulating and carrying on the good fight against leftist-pinko-lesbian-gay-hippy-foreign - pick your own prejudice - society, are drawing the wagons into a circle and sheltering behind gated communities, golf clubs at the ready, to repel the inexorable spread of all of the above from "their" world.

Since the apogee of Greek culture where one first comes across their elders in extant texts deploring the habits, manners and life-styles of the young and predicting the loss of civillization in their hands, there has been a schism between generations.

But what are the reasons one wonders, why this is the first period in history, to our knowledge, where the elders not only retire from society metaphorically, but do so in communities where physical barriers also signal their fear of the world they have brought about?

Coming to Sydney 5 years ago I have to admit to finding Oxford street underwhelming: Couple of gay bars, a leather place, the odd wig shop. Hardly the centre of "gay culture" that I wanted to see.

There wasn't anything happening that would shock a straight boy from little old Adelaide. It was boring, and nice. People sitting in cafes, a spot of shopping. Mardi Gras looked a bit like the John Martin's Christmas Pagaent in drag to be frank.

I think the missing part of the article is the increased vibrance of gay spaces in SE Queensland and the north coast of NSW. Many gay people are sea changing, and this article only looks at Sydney.

There is more than one 'gay lifestyle' and 'inner city, surrounded by other gay people' is just not as popular as it once was.

"There’s nothing left to fight for. Sydney’s gay community has been a victim of its own success".

We still, however, have the highest youth suicide rates of young males in rural areas identified as gay, in the world, shared with the US midwest. There is a long way to go in the outer suburbs and country areas.

HIV is still spreading: no cure, and now we are face multi-resitstant HIV: death sentense. Its just a matter of time and the numbers of "gifting parties".

GlenV is spot on when identifying the Changes in SE Queensland. After the days of the Joh Bjelkie Peterson Governments, things changed significantly in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Cairns, for Queensland gay refugees to either return to Queensland, that is, going back home, or new gays and Lesbians moving north.

Most of the immigration to Sydney for a free life came from either Queensland, country people, Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmania, Perth, New Zealand and Islanders in the 1980s. It is only natural for people to move to where they are likely to be happy and live and let live.

Then in the HIV crisis in the 1990s, new people moved into Sydney with urgency, mostly around Saint Vincent's Hospital, Royal Prince of Wales or the Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals. The country hostipals, and hospitals interstate were just not keeping up with the same standard of treatment.

Then the late 1990s, Melbourne, Brisbane, and New Zealand started to attract gay people home again. Mostly those who had left, going home to more tollerant cities after changes finding more opportunities.

I think after every Mardi Gras, and after people reduce a minority group to a "pink dollar", it is only natural that there will be a cringe facture. As faded and as tired as Pricilla still playing at the Casino. I mean, for freaken sake, enough's enough: put it away...

Sydney can reinvent itself, but it has to be totally honest with itself first.

No one is in Quarantine.

Here I am advising the gay and lesbian community again...lol. Is my appraisal is fair?