Final Project Update
After completing today’s presentation, I now have all of my maps and data finished. I am currently working on my final paper and expanding the historical background for the topics I chose to discuss. These include the growth of queer establishments over a twenty-year period, clusters along state borders, and a case study of Chicago in relation to racial segregation. A major component of my paper examines the ways in which my maps are misleading, and the biases embedded in my primary source, Damron’s Address Book . Because of these limitations, my maps offer only a partial snapshot of queer establishments. While they do allow for several valuable insights, they ultimately cannot be used on their own to fully understand queer community and life during these years. The guide can serve as a useful tool; however, it excludes many segments of the queer spectrum and largely reflects the world of white, middle-class gay men and their establishments.