2011 Theses Bachelor's

Gaytrification: Financial Incentives and the Making of a Gay Social Enclave in Wilton Manors, Florida, 1990-2000

Udell, Sean Manning

This study examines how Wilton Manors became the city-sized gay and lesbian enclave that it is today, specifically uncovering its transformation from a white, heterosexual family bedroom community from its founding in 1924 through the late 1980s to its current status as a burgeoning “gay Mecca.” To residents who have lived in Wilton Manors throughout the transformation, the city’s metamorphosis has been quite severe. However, the very structure of Wilton Manors helped set the stage for its unique gay revival in the 1990s. A 1950s-style bedroom community of Fort Lauderdale with a strong history of community service and initiative, the town’s aging residents and dispersing families helped lead to its downturn in the 1980s, setting the stage for its gay-fueled revitalization and “gaytrification” in the 1990s.