i was just thinking about like, gay spaces. like, gay clubs, or all-women spaces. and i just thought about it in comparison to a themed cafe. you know, like those anime or comic book cafes filled with merchandise and stuff.
like, the cafe is explicitly designed and intended for a particular audience. it’s meant to be a space for people in this particular category (maybe fans of this show that the cafe is themed after) to enjoy THIS THING in particular. you can safely assume that everyone in it is there to enjoy the same thing that you do. you might go to this place to enjoy the experience by yourself, or to meet others who also fall into this particular audience.
like, sure, it’s open to the public, people who aren’t interested in it at all could very well just walk in. but you walk in with the assumption that you’re a minority, because this was just made for you! you don’t walk into a superhero-themed cafe and be upset that everyone in the cafe turns out to like superheroes. you know that because you’ve entered a place that was made for an audience you’re not part of, you shouldn’t expect to be catered to.