It should come as no surprise if a gay Dorothy from West Hollywood who wanders into Faultline turns to her Toto and says: “We’re not in WeHo anymore.”
It’s pretty much always been that way, or at least for the almost 40 years since the opening of The Stud, the Levi/leather cruise bar on 4216 Melrose Ave. east of the 101 near Vermont Avenue that morphed into Griff’s and now Faultline. As always, styles change, as do the stereotypes they feed. Today, the look in West Hollywood is that black baseball cap topping that undercut hair (make sure the lip is facing backwards!), a black tank top or side cut t-shirt that shows you’re muscular and cut, and black socks extending at least six inches above your Nikes or Adidas sneaks. Oh, and you’re white. You could call the stereotype “peacock.” At Faultline? You’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve walked into a gay United Nations with a crowd from across the homo spectrum. It includes guys with the bear style, a cholo vibe, a leather look, an eyebrow-plucked twinkiness, a touch of drag and, yes, those WeHo peacocks. And they all appear to be comfortable with one another.