Independent.ie – By David McWilliams
On Sunday nights, ‘The George’ on Dublin’s George’s Street hosts a drag queen evening. Shirley Temple Bar, of telebingo fame, MCs the spectacle. The bingo is followed by a drag-fest, where wannabe drag queens get put through their paces. This might not be everyone’s idea of a night on the tiles, but research from the US indicates that shows like these are crucial to the economic fortunes of the nation.
In the US, those cities with flourishing gay scenes are also the ones with the highest income per head, the most highly paid employees, the most creative industries and the best environmental record. They are also the type of place which polls reveal are heavily weighted behind Obama. The reason is very simple. The types of cities that tolerate a gay scene are also likely to tolerate other sorts of outsiders, non-conformists and free-thinkers.