Queer Skating in LA

[Noioso]

Question for y'all: Are there any good covered spots in LA? Looks like it might rain all weekend.

[GAY]

Question for y'all: Are there any good covered spots in LA? Looks like it might rain all weekend.

There's a covered spot in the parking lot of the Home Depot that's just east (on the other side of the 5) of Dodger's stadium. It's fun as hell. A bunch of slick curbs.
I skate in the parking garage at LACC all the time but it's not a great spot.

[theresnothinghere]

skateboarding is so gay now

Gay Agenda: 1
Skateboarding: 0

[Monkey_Mcpott]

Question for y'all: Are there any good covered spots in LA? Looks like it might rain all weekend.

I work nearby this. Its more the south bay but this is a full proof spot that is skated a lot in the rain.

[Sedition]

This is an interesting question...I know I would have checked it out, but I've never fit in with with the gay crowd whatsoever, so chances are I wouldn't have been a part of that. What would have been cool, though, is knowing that there were other gay kids out skating around. I honestly didn't think there were any others, which is a bit narcissistic, but I just felt really alone, so it would have been cool to know something like this was out there, even if I wanted no part of it.

This. 100% this.

[Sedition]

Just to add my 2p worth - I’m a middle aged gay man who’s been skating for the majority of my life. I totally agree, in principle with the idea that segregation isn’t the answer and that ‘everyone should just skate together’, but the reality isn’t that simple. On a personal level I’ve always avoided segregating myself out form the rest of society, and as a result I spent a lot of my life living in houses full of skater, working in skate shops and later doing other random bits of work in the skate industry. As an adult it’s been absolutely fine and I’ve never experienced any homophobia in the skate industry, to the point that I got kind of sick of well wishing skaters drunkenly telling me how great it was that I brought my boyfriend along to whatever random skate event we were at.

But, and it’s a big but - thinking back to my teenage years, it didn’t feel that way at all! It’s easy to forget how much of the skate scene is made up of insecure teenage boys acting like complete dicks. Sure, most of them grow out of it, but as a teenager I remember hearing so much relentlessly homophobic comments, and feeling utterly alone as a gay kid skating. After I came out I had to have endless awkward conversations with people trying to apologise for the things they’d said around me before they realised I was gay.

So yeah, as an adult I’m happy enough not seeking out any of these queer skate crews on the odd occasion I go out skating, and generally just hang out with the same bunch of middle aged straight men I’ve been skating, drinking, and generally getting old with for the last 20 years or so, but I still absolutely get why a lot of teenagers think they’re necessary. Sure, in an ideal world they wouldn’t need exist, but we’re sure as hell not there yet!

There is a difficult balance between the need for visibility, and the risk of LGBT folks isolating themselves from wider society, and I completely understand that people will have differing but equally valid opinions on this. But for now, as long as some kid skating in the middle of nowhere is able to see that these queer skate crews exist, and as a result not feel as alone as I did as a teenager, then more fucking power to them.

Well said. Agree 100% on every point.

[BacksideWallride]

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Question for y'all: Are there any good covered spots in LA? Looks like it might rain all weekend.

[close]

There's a covered spot in the parking lot of the Home Depot that's just east (on the other side of the 5) of Dodger's stadium. It's fun as hell. A bunch of slick curbs.
I skate in the parking garage at LACC all the time but it's not a great spot.

But you have to watch out for flying lawn mowers

[otherside]

Expand Quote

Just to add my 2p worth - I’m a middle aged gay man who’s been skating for the majority of my life. I totally agree, in principle with the idea that segregation isn’t the answer and that ‘everyone should just skate together’, but the reality isn’t that simple. On a personal level I’ve always avoided segregating myself out form the rest of society, and as a result I spent a lot of my life living in houses full of skater, working in skate shops and later doing other random bits of work in the skate industry. As an adult it’s been absolutely fine and I’ve never experienced any homophobia in the skate industry, to the point that I got kind of sick of well wishing skaters drunkenly telling me how great it was that I brought my boyfriend along to whatever random skate event we were at.

But, and it’s a big but - thinking back to my teenage years, it didn’t feel that way at all! It’s easy to forget how much of the skate scene is made up of insecure teenage boys acting like complete dicks. Sure, most of them grow out of it, but as a teenager I remember hearing so much relentlessly homophobic comments, and feeling utterly alone as a gay kid skating. After I came out I had to have endless awkward conversations with people trying to apologise for the things they’d said around me before they realised I was gay.

So yeah, as an adult I’m happy enough not seeking out any of these queer skate crews on the odd occasion I go out skating, and generally just hang out with the same bunch of middle aged straight men I’ve been skating, drinking, and generally getting old with for the last 20 years or so, but I still absolutely get why a lot of teenagers think they’re necessary. Sure, in an ideal world they wouldn’t need exist, but we’re sure as hell not there yet!

There is a difficult balance between the need for visibility, and the risk of LGBT folks isolating themselves from wider society, and I completely understand that people will have differing but equally valid opinions on this. But for now, as long as some kid skating in the middle of nowhere is able to see that these queer skate crews exist, and as a result not feel as alone as I did as a teenager, then more fucking power to them.

[close]

Well said. Agree 100% on every point.

It seems like a common view amongst us aging gay skaters. The bottom line for me is that this sort of very visible queer skate scene is really useful for LGBT teenage kids in that awkward period of life where the whole world feels like it’s lining up against you.

If I’m totally honest if people into their 30s and 40s in the major cities of the developed world still feel like they really need to be part of a really specifically self defined queer skate scene, then maybe they need to get over themselves a bit. But then I know I have the good luck to live in a really liberal city, so my ‘sexuality is the least interesting thing about me’ smugness is a real privilege...

[euro tm]

if anyone is there with them right now please give leo banuelos a big ol hug for me

[Monkey_Mcpott]

Was heading to work and saw that they were at the courthouse. Decided to briefly stop by to tell Jeff that I dig what he does and loved his artwork. Gave him my last 2 shalom stickers, He obviously didn't know what it was haha but he said he was down to give them away to the skaters. Was trying to buy a shirt off of him but he was holding them for the raffle. He said more product will be up on his site soon, sick dude.

[hangontoyourego]

jeff is rad !

[PatoDuck]

I wanted to go to the derby one but I was out of town😢

[theresnothinghere]

Was heading to work and saw that they were at the courthouse. Decided to briefly stop by to tell Jeff that I dig what he does and loved his artwork. Gave him my last 2 shalom stickers, He obviously didn't know what it was haha but he said he was down to give them away to the skaters. Was trying to buy a shirt off of him but he was holding them for the raffle. He said more product will be up on his site soon, sick dude.

This is so sick. I think it speaks for itself that instead of making money off his art when you offered to buy it, that he would rather give it to queer skaters who are hyped on queer skate day.
Won a shirt and brand new adidas at the last one I went to and it made me feel so fucking good honestly.

[Jagr]

I think skateboarding has something inherently gay to it, so it's only natural that us homos gravitate towards it.

It's just important that the gayness associated to skateboarding does not become sanitized and middle class. Gotta be from the streets to the streets.

[Jagr]

what even is skateboarding these gays.

[Jagr]

what even is skateboarding these gays.

and i do think unity is rad.

[Sedition]

...The bottom line for me is that this sort of very visible queer skate scene is really useful for LGBT teenage kids...

If I’m totally honest if people into their 30s and 40s in the major cities...

Identity is a weird thing. People can draw pie charts, and fill in the various pieces of the pie chart with the various things they "identify" as. Skater. Father. Irish. German. Latino. Democrat. Republican. LGBT. etc. I think when you are younger a lot more of this stuff matters. The % to which any piece of the "pie" is different at different times in your life. To that end, and as is illuminated by some comments in this thread, I think what Unity  (and others) are doing is super rad, and really, really, really needed. Yet, as someone who has been "out" in my local skate scene for over twenty years, it is now such a moot point in my life. It’s just like…*yawn*. Big fucking deal. Do I need to rehash this, again? Can't we just go get tacos, hit a curb, or go skate a mini ramp? When I was younger the % of the pie chart that was allocated to my so-called "queer" identity was pretty big. Now, it is just a sliver.     

[ihatejulio]

Was heading to work and saw that they were at the courthouse. Decided to briefly stop by to tell Jeff that I dig what he does and loved his artwork. Gave him my last 2 shalom stickers, He obviously didn't know what it was haha but he said he was down to give them away to the skaters. Was trying to buy a shirt off of him but he was holding them for the raffle. He said more product will be up on his site soon, sick dude.

This is actually so fucking rad. I saw that Ellington invited the Unity team to skate the Baker warehouse too. Very proud of Jeff's successes and his contributions to the skate community as a whole.

[otherside]

Expand Quote

...The bottom line for me is that this sort of very visible queer skate scene is really useful for LGBT teenage kids...

If I’m totally honest if people into their 30s and 40s in the major cities...

[close]

Identity is a weird thing. People can draw pie charts, and fill in the various pieces of the pie chart with the various things they "identify" as. Skater. Father. Irish. German. Latino. Democrat. Republican. LGBT. etc. I think when you are younger a lot more of this stuff matters. The % to which any piece of the "pie" is different at different times in your life. To that end, and as is illuminated by some comments in this thread, I think what Unity  (and others) are doing is super rad, and really, really, really needed. Yet, as someone who has been "out" in my local skate scene for over twenty years, it is now such a moot point in my life. It’s just like…*yawn*. Big fucking deal. Do I need to rehash this, again? Can't we just go get tacos, hit a curb, or go skate a mini ramp? When I was younger the % of the pie chart that was allocated to my so-called "queer" identity was pretty big. Now, it is just a sliver.   

Well put!

[theresnothinghere]

Expand Quote

Was heading to work and saw that they were at the courthouse. Decided to briefly stop by to tell Jeff that I dig what he does and loved his artwork. Gave him my last 2 shalom stickers, He obviously didn't know what it was haha but he said he was down to give them away to the skaters. Was trying to buy a shirt off of him but he was holding them for the raffle. He said more product will be up on his site soon, sick dude.

[close]

This is actually so fucking rad. I saw that Ellington invited the Unity team to skate the Baker warehouse too. Very proud of Jeff's successes and his contributions to the skate community as a whole.

Yeah they did, was watching clips from it and everyone I follow in Unity was super stoked on it.

[Noioso]

hahaha...Just to clear up a couple things up I am not Jeff and no one is "on" Unity. I am just someone who's part of the crew.

The trip was really fun! I got the Shalom stickers, Monkey! Like I told you on Insta, I was announcing the names in the raffle, and I asked everyone who put those out. I was so curious who was from here. lol Thanks to any one who may have come!

Here's some clips from the trip. I'm pretty bad at editing/filming (dad-cam), so try to ignore:

[theresnothinghere]

Trans + Queer Skate meet up at Los Angeles Trade - Technical College. Just something to do in between applying to some sick jobs. Nothing formal, if i see you there cool.

[GAY]

Trans + Queer Skate meet up at Los Angeles Trade - Technical College. Just something to do in between applying to some sick jobs. Nothing formal, if i see you there cool.

When? )

[Monkey_Mcpott]

hahaha...Just to clear up a couple things up I am not Jeff and no one is "on" Unity. I am just someone who's part of the crew.

The trip was really fun! I got the Shalom stickers, Monkey! Like I told you on Insta, I was announcing the names in the raffle, and I asked everyone who put those out. I was so curious who was from here. lol Thanks to any one who may have come!

Here's some clips from the trip. I'm pretty bad at editing/filming (dad-cam), so try to ignore:

Glad you got em! 

[theresnothinghere]

Expand Quote

Trans + Queer Skate meet up at Los Angeles Trade - Technical College. Just something to do in between applying to some sick jobs. Nothing formal, if i see you there cool.

[close]

When? )

There's a trans job fair going on tomorrow that I'm driving like 8 hours to go to haha, so I'll just be hanging out all day between 12-4pm and skating in between doing interviews etc. Nothing formal, I'll be there, people can skate and meet up. Don't want to even talk to anyone, just saying it would be cool to meet the gay side of slap (but again i probably won't say anything)

[ihatejulio]

Noioso getting CLIPS.

[GAY]

Wonderful stuff! And my crazy crush on Noioso continues.