From The Next American City (via 800CEORead Blog)
Richard Florida: Much of the criticism of my work has revolved around the Gay Index, which takes up just several pages of a 400-page book. I'm tempted to believe this is the key issue from which all the other critiques flow: a visceral abhorrence of the idea that gay populations could possibly have a positive impact. Never do my co-researcher Gary Gates or I imply that gays literally cause high-tech growth. Rather, we see a strong and vibrant gay community as an indicator of a place that is open to many different kinds of people. Several critics have brought up the example of Silicon Valley: isn't it a staid, boring place that appeals mainly to conventional engineering types who want to avoid artists, bohemians, and gays?
Kind of take offense to this last sentence. I'm not sure that engineering types are actively seeking to avoid any particular group such as "artists, bohemians, and gays." Geeks want to be "tolerated" as regular human beings, too. I felt a bit like a pariah in the backlash of 2001 when I had to admit that I had worked in the Internet industry. And some geeks are (or should I say some of us) quite eccentric in our own right. I think these "critics" have only imagined what Silicon Valley is like in their mind's eye. Yeah, the surburbia strip malls aren't exactly inspiring architectural wonders; but the people here are still quite diverse in terms of nationalities and viewpoints. I think people really value that SF is accessible and one can drive down to see a play just as easily as they can be on the surf in Santa Cruz.
This isn't a staid engineers versus bohemian gays debate. It's not one or the other. The "versus" is the crux of the misundertanding.
I think that Berkeley/Oakland area is very very cool and I lived there for a few months. I could live there again, but there is practically nothing for me to do there work-wise. There is almost zippo (relative to rest of the Bay Area, not the world) happening there in terms of technology innovation. Why is that? Sure there are plenty of non-profit activists, bohemians and artists and musicians galore. It's Bohemia central. When I was in Guatemala for a month studying Spanish every other American I met seemed to be from Oakland. Anyway, you know what I mean if you have spend any time there. Now, as much as I just adore the Oakland/Berkeley area, as a generalization they can be pretty damn smug, self-righteous and well fairly intolerant if your views don't align with their views on what's "best" for the world. Entrepreneurs or anyone that smells of capitalism isn't exactly lauded in quite the same manner as they are in SV. Lauding certainly isn't necessary; but contempt isn't either. I have a few friends living in Berkeley that are Republican and it's as hard for them as it is for a Democrat in Salt Lake City.
All of this is to say that "tolerance" isn't automatically a given in an area where bohemians, artists, and gays are welcome. A thriving accepting place (I dislike "tolerance" as it implies a sort of resigned acceptance or "putting up with") makes EVERYONE feel welcome no matter what their political leanings, no matter what their educational backgrounds, no matter what their occupation, no matter if they are "staid" or "weird", no matter what country they're from, period. As staid as Silicon Valley may appear, I do find that people can respect diverse opinions and, in general, admire anyone that demonstrates strength, confidence and commitment to their own convictions irregardless if they are in agreement.
The most successful regions welcome all kinds of people. -- Richard Florida
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