2. BEHIND THE FACADE (OF COLONIALISM)

In 2017, The West End Heritage Precinct was established following its inclusion into the City of Fremantle’s Municipal Entry in 2000 as a conservation area.28 The heritage significance, acknowledged by State Heritage, is the rarity of such an architecturally intact area dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s, and as an example of Australian Port cities as centres of maritime trade and transport during settlement.29 This narrative prioritises settlement and exploitation of Country as the defining history of Fremantle, and whilst these actions are the result of much of its streetscape they pay little attention to the multitude of varied identities that have contributed to the city. Nor does the policy address the period of history since the early 20th century. The facadism in Fremantle draws parallels with the “disneyfication” of New Orleans, the idea of the façade hiding aspects of place and community deemed outside the dominant narrative.30 Fremantle, similar to New Orleans gains its cultural richness from the exact groups the façade excludes, creating this disconnect between the façade and the identity.

Thor Kerr’s article Reproducing Temples in Fremantle on facadism in Fremantle is a foundation for this project. Kerr addresses the façades in the West End as symbols of a “preposterous” history, through the bastardisation of European classical architecture as a tool of colonialism.31 This chapter includes a catalogue of examples that address the performative nature of Fremantle’s identity as a series of façades both in the literal and philosophical sense. The following are examples of superficiality in Fremantle and are given as counterarguments to the dominant “idea of Fremantle,”32 established within the heritage discourse. Fremantle’s understanding of historical value seems unfathomable, but these examples question this claim and create space for the expansion of these value systems beyond the traditional narrative.

28. The initial area had an extended boundary to include Fremantle Prison to the east.

29. Heritage Council, “Register of Heritage Places Assessment Documentation: Heritage Place No. 25225,”inHerit State Heritage Office, July 18, 2017. 18.

30. Souther, J. Mark. “The Disneyfication of New Orleans: The French Quarter as Façade in a Divided City.” The Journal of American History 94, no. 3 (2007): 804–11. https://doi. org/10.2307/25095142.

31. Kerr, Thor. “Reproducing Temples in Fremantle.” International Journal of Heritage Studies : IJHS 18, no. 1 (2012): 5. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2011.576687.

32.

Shoreline

In the 1890’s the shoreline of Fremantle was significantly altered under the leadership of CY O’Connor as part of the Inner Harbour. The work began in 189233 and involved the destruction of a sandbar that held significant cultural value as a crossing place for the local Whadjuk Peoples of the Noongar Nation.34 The shoreline of Fremantle has also shifted because of the reclamation of land by Settlers and throughout the early history of the city.35

PRE COLONISATION

Colonisation

33. Fremantle Ports. (n.d.). “History and Heritage.” Accessed May 11, 2023/ https://www.fremantleports.com.au/the-port/history-and-heritage

34. Moodjar Consultancy. “Statements of Significance for the Fremantle Area and Registered Aboriginal Sites Cantonment Hill, Rocky Bay and Swan River,” Fremantle: City of Fremantle, March 2, 2016. https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Statements%20of%20Significance_Whadjuk%20Nyoongar.pdf

35. Museum of Western Australia.A Trek Through Time: Exploring Western Australia’s Aboriginal Heritage. https://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/A%20Trek%20Through%20Time_Education_FV_ PR.pdf

arthur’s head paint

The limestone rock formation named so by James Stirling no longer exists in its original form due to years of quarrying.36 The use of local limestone in the area for construction has significantly altered the topography of Walyalup.37

As part of the America’s Cup Defence the West End façades were painted as part of a cleaning up of the city, or an editing of reality. This included the removal of “colourful,”38 [read as intoxicated individuals and rough sleepers] people from the streets. The painted façades are a conservation issue as the paint is difficult to remove and potentially damaging when restoring the original unpainted façade.39

PRE AMERICA’S CUP

damp (building health)

Modern construction techniques used in the alteration of heritage buildings have led to damp issues that damage the structural integrity and building fabric of these sites. Painted walls and concrete floor slabs cover the original fabric and trap moisture from Fremantle’s high water table level resulting in mould and significant water damage.40

WATER TABLE

MOULD

MOULD

False Ceilings

Many of the commercial shopfronts in The West End have ceilings at a lower height than the original. The original ground floor-to-floor height for most of the twostorey commercial buildings was 4.5m.42

‘NEW’ CEILING HEIGHT

ORIGINAL CEILING HEIGHT

‘NEW’ CEILING HEIGHT

ORIGINAL CEILING HEIGHT

Tent City

The Tent City at Pioneer Park highlighted the lack of accommodation and services available to people experiencing homelessness in Fremantle and Perth. The event failed to secure long-term housing for participants but was an embarrassment for the Local Government presenting a “poor public image of the city.” 41 The tent city is a contemporary example of Fremantle’s obsession with image.

Prison

The Fremantle Prison is a UNESCO World Heritage Property advertised as a convict prison and valued as a symbol of British Colonialism. The prison built between 1852 and 1859 operated until 1991 and has a more contemporary influence on Fremantle beyond its colonial origins.47

41. Manfield, Evelyn. “Fremantle ‘tent city’ branded ‘regrettable’ as businesses say there’s no benefit to the homeless.” ABC News, February 24, 2021. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.abc. net.au/news/2021-02-24/fremantle-tent-city-regrettable-no-benefit-to-homeless/13184896.

Karp, Paul. “‘Our Spirits Are Being Broken’: A Year after Perth’s Homeless Tent City Was Cleared, the Crisis Remains.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media Limited, 20 Feb. 2022, www. theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/20/our-spirits-are-being-broken-a-year-after-perthshomeless-tent-city-was-cleared-the-crisis-remains.

False Fa Ades

The City of Fremantle’s obsession with the maintenance of the streetscape has resulted in façades being disconnected from the rest of the building, in a literal sense. The University of Notre Dame borrows this legacy constructed by the façades to give the illusion of heritage beyond its 21 years.43

Fremantilians

“Fremantle locals enjoy telling stories about the prostitution, illicit drugs and drunken brawls that have occurred on High Street because of its relation to the port.”44 Fremantle in the 20th century was a working-class precinct and has a history of street violence, drunken disorder, and sex work.45 Now the average income is high than the state and national averages with a majority professional population.46

Sodomy

The Orient Hotel and The Newport Hotel are identified in Dexter Wong’s Queer Spaces as sites with queer heritage.48 Both these sites are listed within the State Register but neither refers to their queer past.49

44. Ibid 6.

45. Leong, Susan, Thor Kerr, and Shaphan Cox. “Façades of Diversity.” Thesis Eleven 135, no. 1 (2016): 128.

Macbeth, J., Selwood, J., & Veitch, S. Paradigm Shift or a Drop in the Ocean? The America’s Cup Impact on Fremantle. Tourism Geographies, 14(1), 2012. 176.

46. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). QuickStats: Fremantle (City). Accessed

25, 2023, from https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA53430

3. CASE STUDIES

The following case studies of San Francisco, Toronto, and New York are examples of queer approaches to heritage policy. The case studies were chosen following the literature review that exposed the very minimal examples of the queering of heritage policy within English-speaking countries. Cities such as Amsterdam can be useful case studies, however, they have been excluded due to the language barrier, which is a limitation of this work. The case studies are examples of approaches towards the inclusion of queer heritage within the policy rather than a general queering of the policy. In lieu of this lack of obvious efforts of queering the case studies provide a queer-specific form of queering that can provide examples of where existing frameworks can be perpetrators of harm.

The following case studies also vary in scale to Fremantle significantly in terms of land mass and population size. These population sizes have allowed for a greater density of queerness within the city allowing for a greater sense of queer heritage. Whilst the scale might not be comparable to Fremantle the approaches are, especially considering the scale of heritage districts which are comparable in size to Fremantle’s various heritage precincts including the West End.

The Federal and city-level involvement in shaping these policies is also of note, this breadth falls outside the scope of work. However, we can see in San Francisco that it was community-driven documentation at neighborhood levels that pushed for state and nationwide progress. This work has the same capacity to be a steppingstone for further progression in the field.

San Francisco established the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy (Strategy) in 2016 and published it in 2018, “to honour the legacy, ensure the longevity, and nurture the well-being of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community.”

50 The Strategy was based on the Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History release in 2015, a year before the National Park Service’s (NPS) LGBTQ Heritage Initiative Theme Study that tackled queer culture on a national scale.51 The San Francisco and NPS argue for the documentation and preservation of examples of tangible and intangible queer culture and heritage. The Historic Preservation Commission (Commission) is a division of the San Francisco (SF) Planning Department and is responsible for the preservation of San Francisco’s cultural heritage.52 The Commission incorporated the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy as a “place-based heritage conservation tools” to combat the loss of queer culture in the city.53 The LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy is administered through a Working Group set up by San Francisco (SF) Planning. The Strategy extends beyond the goals of the historic commission and incorporates measures for general city-wide recognition of queer histories and identities including cultural competency training and medical reforms.54

The strategies employed in San Francisco provide one of the few examples of queer-specific heritage policy globally. The city is also an example of the need to redefine traditional heritage approaches, seen not only in its queering attempts but also in its highlighting of various cultural and ethnic groups. It is worth noting that the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy goals are ongoing, and an evaluation of the strategy’s successes is premature to make, due to its proximity. However, the strategy is a product of extensive community and expert

50. San Francisco Planning Department. LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy (Strategy): Draft Executive Summary Historic Preservation Commission Hearing September 19, 2018. San Francisco: San Francisco Planning Department, 2018. Hearing.1.

51. National Park Service. LGBTQ Theme Study Fact Sheet. America: National Park Service, October 2016. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lgbtqheritage/upload/lgbtq-factsheet.pdf

52. San Francisco Planning. “Historic Preservation Commission.”Accessed April 18, 2023. https:// sfplanning.org/historic-preservation-commission

53. San Francisco Planning Department. LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy (Strategy): Draft Executive Summary Historic Preservation Commission Hearing September 19, 2018. San Francisco: San Francisco Planning Department, 2018. Hearing. 1.

54. Ibid.12.

Background

San Francisco has a population of around 800 000 people, more than 27 times Fremantle’s.55 The scale of San Francisco is not directly comparable to Fremantle; however, many of the threats to San Francisco’s cultural heritage are shared with Fremantle. In 2013 SF Heritage identified a loss of cultural heritage as a result of economic factors, which led to recommendations to redevelop the traditional historic preservation model.56

A key threat to San Francisco’s cultural heritage is the rising cost of rent as a direct outcome of gentrification, and this struggle is also seen in Fremantle.57 The initiatives outlined in the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy have been adapted from existing safeguards with the Planning framework that alleviate the economic burden on businesses and areas of cultural significance outside the Queer. These initiatives include Legacy Businesses and Cultural Districts that work alongside the Citywide Historic Cultural Statement to help retain the intangible heritage in San Francisco.

City Wide Cultural Statement

The Citywide Historic Cultural Statement was based on the 2004 “Sexing the City: The Development of Sexual Identity Based Subcultures in San Francisco, 1933-1979.” which was the first Queer historic context statement in the United States. The document defines the historic context statement as “a historic preservation planning tool used by federal, state, and local governments to guide the identification, documentation, and evaluation of historic properties associated with a specific theme.”58 The historic context statement is similar in nature to the Statement of Significance used by the Heritage Council in Western Australia and is defined as “a summary of the values that together best define the cultural heritage

55. City of Fremantle. “Fremantle Fast Facts.” Accessed April 18, 2023. https://www.fremantle. wa.gov.au/council/about-city-fremantle/fremantle-fast-facts/ United States Census Bureau. “QuickFacts: San Francisco County, California.” Accessed April 18, 2023. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/sanfranciscocountycalifornia

56. Graves, Donna, James Michael Buckley, and Gail Dubrow. “Emerging Strategies for Sustaining San Francisco’s Diverse Heritage.” Change over Time 8, no. 2 (2018): 168. https://doi. org/10.1353/cot.2018.0010.

57. City of Fremantle. “It’s the people, stupid.” Accessed April 18, 2023. March 31, 2023. https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/news-and-media/it%E2%80%99s-people-stupid significance of the place.”59 Both statements validify the cultural significance of a place within the heritage framework of each city. They are necessary for precincts and places to be incorporated within their respective heritage registers.

58. Graves, Donna J., and Shayne E. Watson. Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Fransisco. San Francisco: City and County of San Francisco, March 2016.1.

The Citywide Historic Cultural Statement (Statement) explores nine sub-themes within an overall theme of queer community development in the city. In the nationwide theme study LGBTQ America, it is noted the difficulty associated with the inclusion of queer and migrant narratives within a formal framework due to the often-transient nature of this heritage.60 Thematic studies help to establish these intangible histories that are often not linked to physical places.

59. Ibid.12. Government of Western Australia. “Assessment of Local Heritage Places.” Heritage Council. Accessed April 18, 2023. https://consultation.dplh.wa.gov.au/heritage/guidelines-for-the-assessment-of-local-heritage-pl/supporting_documents/Guidelines%20for%20the%20assessment%20of%20 local%20heritage%20Places.pdf

60. Springate, Megan E.,and Caridad de la Vega. “Nominating LGBTQ Places to the National Register of Historic Places and as National HIstoric Landmarks: An Introduction.” LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History. Washington, DC: National Park Service, 2016.30-7.

A thematic study such as San Francisco’s helps to identify the existence of non-dominant heritage, which helps people recognise and understand their cultural heritage. In San Francisco, the cultural statement in 2004 laid the foundation for subsequent work to improve queer heritage representation that without the contemporary policy would not exist. Within the Western Australian framework, a study of non-dominant examples of heritage is necessary to justify policy change. Work such as the Migrant Inclusion Program is already starting to identify the existence of non-dominant cultural significance, which sets a precedent for policy change. This work needs to be increased.

Our awareness of San Francisco’s rich LGBTQ heritage is a result of the city leading the globe in preservation efforts for queer sites, beginning in the late 1990s.61 This is not the case in Fremantle, but thematic studies can help to identify ‘hidden’ histories that can establish previously excluded cultural diversity.

The Statement is not exhaustive of the city’s queer heritage, and a recommendation from the document is the need for a historic resource survey. The purpose of a historical survey is to establish the cultural significance of places and for inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or National Historic Landmarks (NHL) both heritage databases under the protection of the National Park Service. The survey also gives legitimacy to the establishment of Special Use Districts.62 In Western Australia, Local Heritage Surveys (LHS) are lists of places with potential cultural significance and are maintained by individual local governments. It works similarly to the recommended survey in San Francisco as they are both foundational tools for heritage recording and have no statutory authority but provide the bases for the inclusion of places within formal heritage registers.63

Looking at San Francisco, the Context Statement predated any survey, and this is because of the already wellestablished work on San Francisco’s queer heritage. This level of understanding of the role of the various communities is not seen within Fremantle and first must be established to legitimise any thematic studies and subsequent policy reform. The Statement identifies that smaller-scale neighbourhood-wide surveys may provide an alternative where a citywide survey cannot occur, a scale more suitable to Fremantle and the West End. A thematic study must first occur at a broader state scale, recognising that queer people and their histories are often dispersed with no identifiable locus.64

Part of the thematic study and survey is establishing queer heritage within places already designated to a heritage register and expanding on their cultural significance to the city. Taking this idea into the context of Fremantle, the Orient Hotel is registered within the State Heritage Register, but its queer history is not recorded within the Statement of Significance.65

Critiques

The authors of the US-wide thematic study LGBTQ America noted that as individual experts they often are guilty of “siloed knowledges”66 and by adopting cross-boundary approaches to Queer heritage, they were able to bridge the fragmented nature of queer theory. They also note that queer history has moulded American history, and these links are often missing.67 This is particularly relevant to Fremantle, considering the seeming lack of queer heritage. The lack of queer historical information is due partially to ‘respectability politics,’ an idea that much of the activity and history of queer people are not deemed respectable enough for inclusion. This extends beyond the queer community and is particularly the case

64. Graves, Donna, James Michael Buckley, and Gail Dubrow. “Emerging Strategies for Sustaining San Francisco’s Diverse Heritage.” Change over Time 8, no. 2 (2018): 171. https://doi. org/10.1353/cot.2018.0010.

65. Wong, Dexter. “The Invisible Queer City.” Perth, WA: City of Vincent. Map. Accessed April 18, 2023. https://librarycatalogue.vincent.wa.gov.au/client/en_GB/search/asset/4043/0 Heritage Council. “Orient Hotel.” inHerit State Heritage Office. Accessed April 18, 2023. http:// inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/811d5bdd-7bef-49f5-9e04-5ac709180bc8

66. Graves, Donna, James Michael Buckley, and Gail Dubrow. “Emerging Strategies for Sustaining San Francisco’s Diverse Heritage.”

67. Ibid.168.

for trans*, sex workers and people with disabilities.68

Unlike LGBTQ America, the Citywide Historic Cultural Statement does not formally acknowledge an interdisciplinary and intersectional methodology despite their use of community engagement through workshops, oral history interviews and archive research.69 The simple acknowledgement of intersectional and interdisciplinary approaches to archives and heritage helps to establish a queer framework rather than a traditional one.

economic + legacy businesses

San Francisco identifies gentrification and economic factors as leading threats to the cultural heritage of the city,70 with programs Article 10, The Mills Act and the California Historic Building Code all predating the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy. Article 10 and The Mills Act offer incentives and tax breaks for culturally valued buildings, their occupants, and owners to combat redevelopment’s economic pull. The California Historic Construction Code is a building code for heritage-listed buildings that replaces the standard building code that is often counterintuitive regarding preservation efforts.71 These existing concessions were not deemed sufficient to protect queer heritage resulting in the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy. The Statement outlines the expansion of the Legacy Project program to include businesses of queer significance.

The Legacy Project is for businesses that are at least 30 years old and are deemed to be culturally valuable. The Legacy Project has its roots in the Legacy Bars & Restaurants project established by San Francisco Heritage in 2014. The non-for-profit group advocates for preserving cultural heritage in the city and established the list to aid businesses against economic threats.72 The list required businesses to be 40 years old and hold notable architectural qualities. An official government list was established by the Small Business Commission, expanding eligibility for businesses (including not-for-profits in 2021)73 and being the first of its kind in the country.

69.

70.

72.

74

Businesses given the title of a Legacy Business can apply for grants as part of the Legacy Business Historic Preservation Fund. The two funds available are the Business Assistance Grant, which goes directly to the Legacy Business, and The Rent Stabilisation Grant targeted at building owners to incentivise the retention of Legacy Businesses. Whilst not a directive, the impact of developments on surrounding Legacy Businesses is considered by the SF Planning Department.75 The program also includes supporting marketing materials to help promote the program and Legacy Businesses.

Critiques

One of the main critiques of the Legacy Business program is the lack of incentive for physical preservation. The current system allows the Legacy Business to move locations and maintain its title and subsequent benefits as part of the Legacy Project. Unfortunately, this gives business owners no incentive to preserve the original occupied building that is often intrinsically linked with the cultural significance of the business resulting in a loss of tangible places of heritage.76

Strategies for Conserving Cultural Heritage Assets.” San Francisco: San Francisco Heritage, September 2014.12.

73. Morton, Elizabeth. “Legacy Business Programs: Emerging Directions.”PAS Memo. no 109. Chicago, IL: American Planning Association, 2022.9. https://sfosb.org/sites/default/files/Legacy%20Business/APA%20Newsletter%20Legacy%20Business%20Programs%202022.01.pdf

74. Ibid. 2.

75. Morton, Elizabeth. “Legacy Business Programs: Emerging Directions.”PAS Memo. no 109. Chicago, IL: American Planning Association, 2022.9. f

76.

Sustain-

170. https://doi. org/10.1353/cot.2018.0010.

Cultural District

The first Cultural District in San Francisco was the Japantown Special Use District created in 2004 to maintain the significant Japanese heritage within the area.77 The Cultural District program was officially established in 2018, building on the success of Japan town as a heritage and planning tool of “place-making and place-keeping.”78 The Citywide Historic Cultural Statement recommended the Cultural District program be expanded to include areas of LGBTQ+ significance. There are currently ten Cultural Districts in San Francisco of which three are LGBTQ+ specific.79

A Cultural District is established by The SF Board of Supervisors following the creation of a Cultural History, Housing, and Economic Sustainability Strategies (CHHESS) Report. The report is created in collaboration with a community-based advisory group that helps to define the challenges facing the cultural group in the area and the boundaries of the district. Each CHHESS Report is tailored to each group but involves a strategic plan for the continuation of the district.80 The designation of a district involves rezoning the defined boundary as a Special Use District, allowing for flexible and specific planning regulations. The districts are overseen by the Community Advisory Board, which consists of members of the cultural group and oversees the maintenance and goals of the Cultural District.

The CHHESS Report has six focus areas: Historic Preservation, Tenant Protections, Arts & Culture, Economic & Workforce Development, Land Use, and Cultural Competency. The Historic Preservation goal tackles the preservation and maintenance of the built form of the area as well as various traditions and practices of the

77. Graves, Donna J., and Shayne E. Watson. Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Fransisco. San Francisco: City and County of San Francisco, March 2016.366.

78. SF Government. “The San Francisco Cultural Districts Program.” Accessed April 18, 2023. https://sf.gov/san-francisco-cultural-districts-program#:~:text=The%20Cultural%20Districts%20 program%20is,embodying%20a%20unique%20cultural%20heritage.

79. Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Cultural Districts Program.” Accessed April 18, 2023.1. https://sfmohcd.org/sites/default/files/Documents/MOCD/Cultural%20Districts/ Cultural%20Districts%20Program.pdf group.81 The Cultural Districts provide marginalised communities tools to protect their heritage and put a focus on community-driven methods of preservation. The ten Cultural Districts provide a model of how to highlight and maintain cultural heritage that due to its historical marginalisation is often excluded from dominant forms of heritage preservation.

80. SF Government. “The San Francisco Cultural Districts Program.” Accessed April 18, 2023. https://sf.gov/san-francisco-cultural-districts-program#:~:text=The%20Cultural%20Districts%20 program%20is,embodying%20a%20unique%20cultural%20heritage.

The first LGBTQ+ district and the first of its kind globally was the Transgender District founded in 2017, in recognition of the Compton Cafeteria Riots in 1966 which were the first recorded trans uprising in the country.82 The Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District was created in 2018, and the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District a year later in 2019. Each district has a suite of programs and initiatives that help to support the community.

The Cultural Districts are similar in scale to the heritage precincts found within Fremantle. Whilst differing vastly in methodology both aim to maintain the cultural heritage within their boundaries, to varying degrees of success.

Critiques

Whilst the LGBTQ Cultural Districts are often founded on principles of inclusivity they have also been critiqued for singularity by prioritising only one aspect of queerness rather than a intersectional.83 This lack of intersectionality is partly due to the inability for the overlapping different Cultural Districts.84 The Transgender District 2020-2021 Biennial Report acknowledges community sentiment for the expansion of efforts to other districts and marginalised groups, however, the policy currently lacks in this regard.85 This cultural homogenisation

81. Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “Cultural Districts Program.” Accessed April 18, 2023.2.

82. Formally known as the Compton Transgender District but renamed due to Gene Compton’s involvement in the arrests of trans individuals and drag queens. Ferrannini, John. “SF transgender district drops cafeteria owner’s name.” Bay Area Reporter, March 20, 2020.https://www.ebar.com/ story.php?ch=news&sc=latest_news&sc2=&id=289682&online_extra:_sf_transgender_district_drops_cafeteria_owners_name

83. Graves, Donna, James Michael Buckley, and Gail Dubrow. “Emerging Strategies for Sustaining San Francisco’s Diverse Heritage.” Change over Time 8, no. 2 (2018): 177. https://doi. org/10.1353/cot.2018.0010.

84. Ibid.

85. “The Transgender District 2020-2021 Biennial Report.” San Francisco: The Transgender District, 2021.6. https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/_files/ugd/40a234_fbc58ca5041741619f86e3b06bc840ec.pdf

1 65000

SUNSET CHINESE CULTURAL DISTRICT

JAPANTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT

SOMA PILIPINAS CULTURAL DISTRICT

TRANSGENDER CULTURAL DISTRICT

LEATH & LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT

AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURAL DISTRICT

CASTRO LGBTQ CULTURAL DISTRICT

CALLE 24 LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT

AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT

PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURAL DISTRICT should be avoided when looking to implement similar programs.

Additional

The Citywide Historic Cultural Statement recommends programs for education and interpretation. Such programs help to inform the public on the significance of sites. This ‘public memory’ aids in the preservation efforts of culturally significant places. Suggested methods of interpretation and education include plaques, walking tours, interpretive signage, and youth-focused education programs. The potential of such additional measures can help to boost tourism resulting in additional cash flow.86

Whadjuk Noongar journalist, presenter and commentator.

B. TORONTO

Toronto is another example of queer-specific policy initiatives with the purpose of retaining and showcasing queer cultural heritage. In 2017 the Canadian government issued an apology to victims of the LGBT Purge87 and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in general for institutionalised discrimination. As part of the government refocusing, they established the LGBTQ2 Secretariat (now the 2SLGBTQIA+ Secretariat) under the Department of Heritage Canada as a governmental advisory body to advance communities rights.88 Following the establishment of the Secretariat, a 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan was released in 2022. The Action Plan identifies 6 priority areas for implementation by the Canadian Government over the next 5 years.89 The Action Plan also identifies the GBA Plus analysis tool as an intersectional methodology for policy and project design.

Toronto’s Local Government has various methods of cultural and heritage preservation that are responsive to the Federal level initiatives, however in relative infancy, these include Cultural Districts and broader adoption of sites of queer heritage within existing frameworks.90 Both governments outline Data Based Policy Decisions and call for the need for data collection to legitimise subsequent policy decisions.91

87. Name given to the systematic discrimination and harassment of Queer indivuduals within the military and public service from the mid 1950s through to the 1990s. LGBT Purge Fund. “Home.” LGBT Purge Fund, accessed 23 Apr. 2023, https://lgbtpurgefund.com/.

88. Government of Canada. “About the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat.” Free to Be Me. Accessed May 12, 2023. https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/free-to-be-me/about-2slgbtqi-plus-secretariat. html.

89. 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat. “About 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat.” Women and Gender Equality Canada, Government of Canada, 12 Apr. 2021, https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/free-to-be-me/ about-2slgbtqi-plus-secretariat.html.

90. City of Toronto. “Cultural Districts Program.” Toronto.ca, 2022, https://www.toronto.ca/ city-government/accountability-operations-customer-service/long-term-vision-plans-and-strategies/cultural-districts-program/.

91. City of Toronto. “Cultural Districts Program Proposal: Executive Summary.” Toronto.ca, 2022, 27. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/8d5c-OPTIMIZED-08-05-2022-Cultural-Districts-Program-ProposalExecutive-Summary-FINAL.pdf