Of Barbary Lane and Lorraine Hall: Notes from a Tour and an Introductory Conversation
Author: Noach Dzmura
Date: July 28, 2009
http://www.jewishmosaic.org/resources/show_resource/2431. The Tour Oakland's "Barbary Lane," named for the transwoman Mrs Madrigal's collective household from Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, is a retirement facility near Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. While the person I had come to interview was transgender, odds did not favor the likelihood of the manager of the facility also being transgender. I wondered what Oakland's 'Mrs Madrigal' would look like, and whether or not she would share a joint with me as we toured the facility. The smiling business woman who greeted me was far from any of my Madrigal fantasies.
After introductions, I expressed my sincere appreciation at finding an elder-care facility open to the GLBT community. The gracious and efficient manager was quick to correct my assumption: the facility is open to persons from any category that represents San Francisco's diverse population. "Our embrace of diversity includes," the manager assured me, "but is absolutely not limited to, GLBT persons."
