The face of the gay community worldwide may be changing, according to a University researcher’s recently released study. Epidemiology professor Simon Rosser said he learned that ‘while the gay population is stable or increasing,’ in all but the world’s largest cities, ‘the size of the physical gay community appears to be contracting.’ This means the number of gay bars, clubs and bookstores appears to be thinning or becoming more mainstream. Rosser credits it to a changing culture. ‘What we think is happening is that, in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, gay men came together out of a sense of oppression, a desire to meet similar others,’ he said. ‘Now, some of the reasons that brought them together are very different.’ Rosser cited the Internet as a possible reason for the change in the community. ‘There comes an economic tipping point where the bars and clubs are all reporting they’re somewhat quieter than before the rise of the Internet,’ he said. The study, released June 9, looked at 17 cities worldwide. The effects can be seen in the Twin Cites as well. After 38 years, Amazon Bookstore , an independent Minneapolis bookstore with a […]