Queer Nightlife as Social Infrastructure

Many cities are beginning to understand the value of night time economies. As municipal night time commissions and offices continue to grow in the United States and Europe, researchers and activists attempt to highlight vulnerable groups that have historically relied on nightlife for community building. Given these histories, are cities doing enough in highlighting and protecting LGBTQ+ (queer) nightlife, especially for people of color (POC), through these municipal nightlife commissions and offices? Using qualitative data and a multiple case study design focusing on New York and London, this research attempts to understand how night time commissions and offices in both cities address the vulnerability of queer POC nightlife through community outreach and/or research initiatives. Through interviews, field observations and analysis of policy initiatives, the framing of nightlife as culture or entertainment has an impact on structural financing mechanisms that ultimately commodify queer nightlife. However, these structures also reveal the social infrastructural network of nightlife collectives and opportunities that promote the creation of safe spaces.