EVIDENCE OF DIVERSITY

WeHo brands itself as a proud and vibrant open community where tolerance, acceptance, and ‘cultural sensitivity’ are key to admission. ‘Openness’ does not necessarily connote or lead to ‘diversity,’ however, and WeHo is still predominately a destination community for gay, lesbian, bi and transgender individuals who skew white, single-adult, educated, well-off, gay or bisexual, and male. WeHo does, however, also comprise a very large subset of seniors, Jews, and Russian-speaking immigrants. We were not necessarily aware of this prior to our visit.

Following is a 2006 Survey and Census Data breakdown, which we received from the City of West Hollywood. It compares well to whom we observed and spoke to:
Gay or Bisexual men (39%)

Seniors (21%)
Families with children (7%)
Immigrants from the former Soviet Union (8%)
Women (43%)
Households affected by HIV/AIDS (10%)
People living with disabilities (23%)

White/Caucasian/Other Anglo (87%)
Latino/Latina (5%)
Asian or Pacific Islander (4%)
African American (2%)

WeHo also embraces a strong artistic community (music, film, theater, fine arts, antiques, fashion, architecture, graphic design, interior design, restaurant/bar/club, body art, holistic health, etc). It’s a close-knit, nicely-scaled “small town in a big city,” valued for its cultural panache, gay-friendly environment, care for its own, charm, sense-of-style and fun. We got the vibe in speaking with city leaders and residents that this community works together to get along. The people who live here want to and choose to. Those who can afford to stay, will...

The "Advocate & Gochis Galleries" at The Village: LA Gay & Lesbian Center


A shop in the "trendy" area of West Hollywood

MOCA at The Pacific Design Center