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This chapter argues that the historical geographies of Toronto's Church and Wellesley Street district and Sydney's Oxford Street gay villages are important in understanding ongoing contemporary transformations in both locations. LGBT and queer communities as well as mainstream interests argue that these gay villages are in some form of "decline" for various social, political, and economic reasons. Given their similar histories and geographies, our analysis considers howthese historical geographies have both enabled and constrained how the respective gay villages respond to these challenges, opening up and closing down particular possibilities for alternative (and relational) geographies. While there are a number of ways to consider these historical geographies, we focus on three factors for analysis: post- World War II planning policies, the emergence of "city of neighborhoods" discourses, and the positioning of gay villages within neoliberal processes of commodification and consumerism. We conclude that these distinctive historical geographies offer a cogent set of understandings by providing suggestive explanations for how Toronto's and Sydney's gendered and sexual landscapes are being reorganized in distinctive ways, and offer some wider implications for urban planning and policy.

Until recently, little attention examined the experiences and needs of members of sexual and gender minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people, in relation to disasters – communities who have, and continue to experience, varying forms of social and political marginality. Further, little analysis focused on the capacities of emergency service and government response organisations to meet the needs of LGBTI communities, nor on the policy frameworks that influence preparedness, response and recovery arrangements. This paper provides a synthesis of a three-year Australian Research Council funded project looking at LGBTI experiences of disasters in Australia and New Zealand and places this work within the wider, limited literature. We provide an overview of key findings from our research in relation to the negative experiences that exacerbate marginality and vulnerability, such as harassment in homes, emergency shelters and public spaces, and uncertain access to relief services and funds. We also identify elements of resilience and resistance within LGBTI communities that build upon social capital, and also of attentive and capable emergency management practice, that recognise and include LGBTI communities and their needs. We finish by providing suggestions to assist LGBTI people to take responsibility for enhancing their resilience and preparedness, as well as for governments and emergency response and recovery organisations to better meet the needs of LGBTI individuals, families and communities. We conclude by referring to the impact this project has begun to have in Australia.