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Britain's most celebrated gay district is less successful, and less gay, than it was
IN THE 1980s, Manchester's gay haunts were sordid, dingy places hidden from the street by frosted glass. These days, they are shiny and brazen. In Canal Street, rainbow flags festoon the many pubs and restaurants that have been carved out of old cotton warehouses. Every August, local gays and lesbians flaunt their sexuality in a pride march. Not that anybody needs to be convinced of their worth. Far from being embarrassed by its "gay village", the city council touts it as a symbol of enlightenment and urban renewal.
Gays are the philosopher's stone of urban planning--the secret ingredient that turns dereliction into gold. No other group is reckoned to be so good at breathing life into old warehouses and railway arches. Gays convey sophistication, too. Richard Florida, an influential American academic, claims that their mere presence lures investors and jobs, particularly of...