The Eye of the Beholder

The famous Rainbow Flag doing the infamous Duval Crawl. Summer, 2003.

According to CoedMagazine.com, Key West is at the top of the list of trashiest Spring Break destinations. This certainly doesn’t sit well with people like Andy Newman, spokesman for the Florida Keys Tourism Bureau. Trashy is not a nice way to describe a paradise on earth like Key West.  Key West, with its exorbitant hotel rates and many pristine and romantic hideaways is anything but trashy, Andy says. Turns out, Andy misunderstood. No insult intended! Trashy is a good thing!
     “This is a double thumbs up,” said editor Neal Lynch, of CoEd.com. “It’s definitely a seal of approval....Our goal is to redefine the word trashy.”
    Did you hear that? Redefine the word trashy? This is not gonzo journalism. This is journalism gone. I would go wherever this guy tells me not to go.

Beautiful Sushi's annual New Year's descent from the top of Bourbon St. Pub puts Key West at the top of anyone's list of best places to party on New Year's Eve.

    Last month another journalist somewhere created a list of America’s Gayest Cities. Of 15 cities selected, Salt Lake City was number one. Key West was not even mentioned.  A guy at work, seeing the story on the front page of the Citizen that day, took offense.
    “Hey!” he said. “How can Key West not be on this list?  This is wrong!”

Anybody can sit in Sushi's shoe, as long as it's not New Year's Eve . . .

    The guy questioning the story is not gay, as far as I know. It really doesn't matter. He was thinking of our many gay friends and coworkers, our fellow Key Westers. How would they feel to be left out of this story?    I’ve noticed in Key West it’s like that trailer park tee shirt warning: “F--- with me and you F--- with this whole trailer park.” One of us has the power of all of us. United we stand. Divided we go to tea dance. 
    Ultimately I see that it’s a good thing not to be on this list. I mean think about it: would you rather be gay in Key West or in Salt Lake City?

The Sweet Spot: Key West, Fla.