Quirky probably best describes the town I live in and I while I have posted pictures of the odd Pavilion and the broken West Pier, the town never fails to reveal new things - like the frontage of this shop in the North Laine. I passed this on Sunday, just mooching, and I made a mental note to look in to purchase another copy of Maus. But what prompted me to write about Brighton (again) is the tolerance (something that novel knows a great deal about). In Uganda, gays are being persecuted, in Arizona, you can refuse to serve a 'gay' in a shop or restaurant, in Brighton, to see guys holding hands and kissing in the street, girls so unashamedly into each other the world is only their stage on Sunday morning walks on the promenade, and its just as I expect it. Brighton has one of the highest gay populations in in the UK. When I was told that I asked, why does anyone know that? Why is it even important? I guess it might be, demographic figures are great for market research etc but the idea of a national graph… hmm. When I went into the 'full and busy' Mau Mau for brunch on Sunday, the two guys who smiled and said sit with us, we're going in a minute, knew I wouldn't baulk at such a generous offer. What would I have had to be intolerant of; their manners, their generosity, their shirts, their teasing that I wasn't to steal their tip (no they didn't say that, they knew I wouldn't)? I honestly didn't know if they were gay or not, and why would it matter? It might be mere fancy, but when I first heard this song I declared the first line as the best ever written. I stand by that, it speaks of hope for all the would be lovers in the world, whichever gender they prefer… sing it, sing it, once more with feeling...
