'A lot of the members of the queer community weren't necessarily a part of Mount Vernon.' 'The GLCCB was started primarily by white gay men, so … early on that's who drove the narrative,' said Monica Stevens Yorkman, a black transgender woman who runs Sistas of the T, a transgender support group. Some LGBT community members of color say Mount Vernon has mostly represented a particular segment of the population - namely white gay men. 'We probably need a few more gay bars,' he said. It's a work in progress, but he's optimistic. Armed with a 'vision plan' - a sleek 112-page report on how to grow the neighborhood - Cross said he has regularly pitched LGBT businesspeople in the city and along the East Coast on opening new businesses in Old Goucher. 'We've just seen this kind of burgeoning of gay culture,' Cross said.Ĭross hopes to build on the momentum by attracting more LGBT-owned businesses to Old Goucher. Since then, he's noticed LGBT people moving into the area, 'particularly people who have migrated here from D.C.' While Lyles avoids declaring any section the 'new gayborhood,' Cross has been openly courting the distinction since becoming president of the Old Goucher neighborhood association in 2013.