Since my last column on buying gay in the Gayborhood, we’ve dined at Bump, Vilanni, Venture Inn and More Than Just Ice Cream. We’ve planned a romantic dinner at Tavern on Camac for later this week, and realized the wealth of restaurants we have in our Gayborhood. If dining out in the Gayborhood is full of such choices, imagine other areas. After dinner, you can have a nightcap or dance the night away at a host of clubs from 12th Air, Woody’s, The Bike Stop or Pure. Had a little too much to drink? Spend the night in one of the gay-friendly hotels or bed-and-breakfasts and wake up and have brunch at Mixto or El Vez, then maybe a nice workout at 12th Street Gym. Do a little shopping along 13th Street. Check out the newest trends at South Moon Under or PHAG, find some artwork for the walls at Absolute Abstract. Or even go furniture shopping at Bo Concept (OK, so it’s a little outside of the ’hood) or head to Ettoré Spa and Salon for some pampering or get your hair cut at Cut. Then pick up a book at Giovanni’s Room for an evening of reading. Of course, these are only a few of the numerous businesses you or I could support.

Buying gay in the Gayborhood is a way for all of us to help ourselves and others in our very own community. Other communities have always known that in times of economic crisis, you spend in your own neck of the woods. At this time of crisis, we need to help our own gay or gay-friendly businesses in our community.

A dinner for four might keep a server employed, while a sofa might keep a salesperson on the floor. A night out dancing might keep a bartender employed. Spend that money in, say, Germantown or Chestnut Hill and you’ll be helping their economy, not ours.

Charity or, in this case, the financial well being of your community is up to you. No one expects you to spend each and every dollar in our community. Just make that extra effort.

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Now on to two simple points of political interest.

First, the city budget. While we do not pretend to understand the woes the city is encountering, we might suggest a way for the city to bring in a few more dollars. Stop this merry-go-round with the Boy Scouts and toss them the hell out of their city property. The city can then lease that building for a fair-market rate at over a quarter-million a year. Or sell that prime real estate for tens of millions.

The fight for equal rights for the LGBT community is now underway with H.B. 300. The legislation is very simple: It adds the words “sexual orientation and gender identity or expression” to the groups that you cannot discriminate against in housing, employment and public accommodations.

For the first time since similar legislation was introduced in 1975, it has a chance of passing, but only if the Democratic legislative leadership and the governor give it their full backing. More on this later.

Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.