WI - A "gay takeover" of Alpine County?

[LostMyOldPassword]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Nation

In the early 1970s the California gay circles had the idea of moving to Alpine County, California, en masse in order to outnumber its registered voter population of 367 and vote in an all-gay county government, as well as "gay government, a gay civil service...the world's first gay university, partially paid for by the state...the world's first museum of gay arts, sciences and history...[and a] free county health service and hospital...".

However, the idea was met with criticism from both gay and straight circles, and the main proponent of the idea, the LA chapter of the Gay Liberation Front, ultimately backed out in February 1971.


But this begs the question - what if such an idea actually came to be, and there was an attempt to outnumber the straight population of Alpine?

 

[overoceans]

"However, the idea was met with criticism from both gay and straight circles"

Can't imagine why!

 

[Garrison]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Nation

In the early 1970s the California gay circles had the idea of moving to Alpine County, California, en masse in order to outnumber its registered voter population of 367 and vote in an all-gay county government, as well as "gay government, a gay civil service...the world's first gay university, partially paid for by the state...the world's first museum of gay arts, sciences and history...[and a] free county health service and hospital...".

However, the idea was met with criticism from both gay and straight circles, and the main proponent of the idea, the LA chapter of the Gay Liberation Front, ultimately backed out in February 1971.


But this begs the question - what if such an idea actually came to be, and there was an attempt to outnumber the straight population of Alpine?

People will shrug their shoulders, shake their heads and say 'well that's California for you.' It will inevitably come apart when someone suggest raising taxes to pay for the hospital...

 

[Sam R.]

Well obviously it met criticism. State power can’t provide proletarian sexual liberation and armed collective working class force is needed to abolish government.

…

Also as a body lacking independent constitution counties can be disestablished.

 

[kmmontandon]

They'd have to figure out how to have a basis for an actual economy. What, exactly, is going to be the largest employer for all those people?

Most likely, they'd have to do some kind of natural resource extraction, which in Alpine County would almost certainly be logging.

A lot of them would wind up needing to get jobs as lumberjacks. So that'd probably be OK.

 

[overoceans]

They'd have to figure out how to have a basis for an actual economy. What, exactly, is going to be the largest employer for all those people?

Most likely, they'd have to do some kind of natural resource extraction, which in Alpine County would almost certainly be logging.

A lot of them would wind up needing to get jobs as lumberjacks. So that'd probably be OK.

According to a newspaper article linked by the wiki page, the would-be founders of Stonewall Nation suggested that they could make money from tourism, including from heterosexuals who would go to see it out of "curiousity".

I'd imagine the prospect of joining a freak-show for straight gawkers would be a further deterent, if one were needed, to migration.

 

[NorCalifornio]

The first challenge is getting enough people willing to move up there. It's cold, rugged, remote country that not that many people in the Bay Area or LA would want to move to, especially not in 1970. Luckily, you'd only need about 500.

Of course those 500 people would need to make money somehow. These days, the main industries in Alpine County are tourism and logging. I think its tourism industry was still in its nascent stages back then. It's possible that the county's economy could support a sudden influx of hundreds of people like that, but I wouldn't take it for granted.

There's also the issue of a potential backlash, both from locals and nonlocals.

But let's assume that all of these challenges are met: enough gays are recruited, they find sufficient employment, they make peace with the locals, there's no counter-invasion by fundamentalist Christians, all of that. Certainly a large enough majority would be able to elect a majority-gay county government. If any of them had enough startup capital, they could establish their gay museum (which might help provide additional employment). But this part:

"gay government, a gay civil service...the world's first gay university, partially paid for by the state...the world's first museum of gay arts, sciences and history...[and a] free county health service and hospital...".

is not gonna happen. There just isn't a large enough population out there to support a university. The hospital is also really unlikely, for staffing reasons if nothing else. In fact, there is no hospital in Alpine County to this day, just a county-run clinic in Alpine Village and a health center at one of the ski resorts.

 

[Unknown]

If even gay and straight circles were united in their opposition to the plan...yeah, it was never gonna work...

 

[Mad Bad Rabbit]

A lot of them would wind up needing to get jobs as lumberjacks. So that'd probably be OK.

We see what you did there.

 

[lerk]

Maybe they could invite other homosexuals from across the country. In fact, maybe homosexuals from across the world might be interested in such a venture. As such, perhaps you could get 1,000-1,500 people from across the world willing to settle Alpine County.

 

[Father Maryland]

Maybe they could invite other homosexuals from across the country. In fact, maybe homosexuals from across the world might be interested in such a venture. As such, perhaps you could get 1,000-1,500 people from across the world willing to settle Alpine County.

More or less the same problems every "People of my group should move to this specific extremely remote underpopulated area so we can take control".

 

[Mad Bad Rabbit]

More or less the same problems every "People of my group should move to this specific extremely remote underpopulated area so we can take control".

Although 500 is a lot more feasible than 20,000 (Wasco County when the Rajneeshees tried to take over Antelope).

 

[Father Maryland]

Although 500 is a lot more feasible than 20,000 (Wasco County when the Rajneeshees tried to take over Antelope).

Cults are one of the rare exceptions where it can theoretically be doable since they have a large membership that more or less do as the leader says and generally have a good deal of money.

 

[X_X]

Interestingly enough, the same county saw an attempted takeover by the far-right Posse Comitatus in the 70s.

Posse Comitatus (organization) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[rfmcdonald]

I suppose that the numbers are imaginable, but how would the county support a much larger population? Tourism is the only plausible option, I guess.

 

[AEK MCMXCIV]

Even if such a thing were to happen it would be unsustainable population-wise due to zero growth, and would need constant moving of gay population otherwise they would dry up within several decades.

 

[Garrison]

According to a newspaper article linked by the wiki page, the would-be founders of Stonewall Nation suggested that they could make money from tourism, including from heterosexuals who would go to see it out of "curiousity".

I'd imagine the prospect of joining a freak-show for straight gawkers would be a further deterent, if one were needed, to migration.

And of course its far more likely its going to attract gay bashers and all manner of 'family values' types looking to protest.

 

[CalBear]

They'd have to figure out how to have a basis for an actual economy. What, exactly, is going to be the largest employer for all those people?

Most likely, they'd have to do some kind of natural resource extraction, which in Alpine County would almost certainly be logging.

A lot of them would wind up needing to get jobs as lumberjacks. So that'd probably be OK.

I understood that reference.

 

[Major Major]

They'd have to figure out how to have a basis for an actual economy. What, exactly, is going to be the largest employer for all those people?

Most likely, they'd have to do some kind of natural resource extraction, which in Alpine County would almost certainly be logging.

A lot of them would wind up needing to get jobs as lumberjacks. So that'd probably be OK.

I understood that reference.

They'd sleep all night and they'd work all day.
They'd cut down trees . . . oh, never mind.

 

[vl100butch]

Depends on the amount of cash people are willing to bring in as well...did a map recon and considering the mileage to Lake Tahoe there would be some potential...early 1970's if you could come up with $50- million to invest in land and development, the long term return could get pretty interesting...