Nicole Murray-Ramirez, seen here in during a somber conversation with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria regarding the fate of the city’s gay district. The longtime San Diego activist was heard to say, “You once named a street for me in Hillcrest. Gave me an award. You all believed I’d lost the ability to understand what I’d started. So that award wasn’t for me. It was for all of you. Now it’s your turn to dealt with the consequences of your achievements. When they’ve punished you enough, they’ll serve you salmon and potato salad, make speeches, give you a medal, and pat you on the back. Just remember, it won’t be for you. It will be for them.”

“Gays, not growth!” “Dykes, not developers!” “Bis, not bike lanes!” “Trans, not transit!” The cries rang out during the city council’s final public meeting before voting on its plan to erase decades of queer history by developing the holy hell out of Hillcrest. But it was to no avail. The LGBTQIA+ forces that had rallied to stop police harassment, fight the AIDS epidemic, transform public attitudes, gain the right for gays to marry, and promote gender-affirming health care proved powerless when pitted against the combined powers of demographics and development. “This is not the end of something,” lied Mayor Todd Gloria, himself a homosexual, “but rather, the beginning. It’s true, much will be lost by the time we finish building hundreds of high rises in a neighborhood once known for its exquisitely restored bungalows and cozy apartment complexes. But think how much will be gained! When no one can find parking, think how much more walkable the neighborhood will feel! The queer community is already California’s fittest, but just imagine the toned thighs from everybody riding bikes everywhere! And the views! Trust me, you haven’t seen Balboa Park until you’ve seen it from 20 stories up. Why, it’ll be just like Manhattan! Look, we all knew this was coming. You people gentrified, and you did a great job of it. Now come the normies with the money — enough to fund a run for statewide office! This is the true American dream, Hillcrest: becoming so totally accepted by mainstream society that your neighborhood looks just like Straight Street, USA. We did it!”