Editing Fort Gay, West Virginia

{{Distinguish|Gay, West Virginia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Fort Gay, West Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Wayne County West Virginia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Fort Gay Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Fort Gay in Wayne County, West Virginia.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[West Virginia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in West Virginia|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Wayne County, West Virginia|Wayne]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor 
|leader_name              = Joetta Hatfield<ref name=APfortgay/>
|leader_title1            = Judge
|leader_name1             = Larry Britt
|established_title        = Chartered
|established_date         = 1875

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_54.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 2.26
|area_land_km2            = 2.14
|area_water_km2           = 0.13
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.87
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.82
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_est           = 671
|pop_est_as_of            = 2021
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 677
|population_density_km2   = 322.62
|population_density_sq_mi = 835.15

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 177
|elevation_ft             = 580
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|7|3|N|82|35|41|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 25514
|area_code                = [[Area code 304|304]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 54-28516<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1554491<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  = https://local.wv.gov/FortGay/Pages/default.aspx
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|unit_pref = Imperial
}}

'''Fort Gay''' is a town in [[Wayne County, West Virginia|Wayne County]], [[West Virginia]], United States, situated along the [[Tug Fork]] and [[Big Sandy River (Kentucky-West Virginia)|Big Sandy]] rivers. The town adjoins [[Louisa, Kentucky]]. The population was 677 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>

==History==
{{Onesource|section|date=March 2025}}
The Fort Gay community traces back to 1789, when 11 people established a settlement at the junction of the Tug and Big Sandy rivers, across from what is now Louisa, Kentucky.<ref name=APfortgay>{{cite news|first=Vicky |last=Smith |url=http://katu.com/news/offbeat/xbox-live-shuts-down-fort-gay-gamer---oops-its-real |title=Xbox Live shuts down 'Fort Gay' gamer - oops, it's real!|work=Associated Press|date=September 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414160257/http://katu.com/news/offbeat/xbox-live-shuts-down-fort-gay-gamer---oops-its-real |archive-date=April 14, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref>  In 1875, it was chartered as Cassville; though it was simultaneously known as Fort Gay.  In 1932, the town's name was officially changed to Fort Gay.  Although there is no evidence as to why the name was changed, there are several prevalent theories: that either the railroad company or post office did not want two Cassvilles on the same route/state (there is another [[Cassville, West Virginia]]), or that a Civil War nurse named Gay became synonymous with the town.<ref name=APfortgay/>

Fort Gay is a part of the [[Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649.

The [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]'s Kenova District goes through the western edge of town.

In 2010, Fort Gay got media attention when Microsoft suspended an [[Xbox Live]] account that belonged to a Fort Gay resident for writing "Fort Gay WV" as his location, as [[Microsoft]] has language policies that prohibit references to [[homosexuality]]. Microsoft customer service representatives refused to acknowledge that Fort Gay existed, and it took an appeal from Mayor David Thompson and media coverage for the issue to be corrected.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitworth |first=Dan |date=2010-09-10 |title=Xbox apologises over 'gay' suspension |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-11258407 |access-date=2025-02-17 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=APfortgay/>

==Geography==
Fort Gay is located at {{coord|38|7|3|N|82|35|41|W|type:city}} (38.117528, -82.594620).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.89|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.84|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.05|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 253
|1890= 266
|1910= 457
|1920= 617
|1930= 664
|1940= 645
|1950= 714
|1960= 739
|1970= 792
|1980= 886
|1990= 852
|2000= 819
|2010= 705
|2020= 677
|estyear=2021
|estimate=671
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> of 2010, there were 705 people, 323 households, and 197 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|839.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 380 housing units at an average density of {{convert|452.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.6% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 323 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.0% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the town was 43.2 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 819 people, 345 households, and 240 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was 1,034.5 inhabitants per square mile (400.3/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 394 housing units at an average density of 497.7 per square mile (192.6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.66% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.49% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.85% from two or more races.

There were 345 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $14,569, and the median income for a family was $20,882. Males had a median income of $29,063 versus $16,442 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $9,125. About 33.9% of families and 37.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 53.1% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wayne County, West Virginia}}
{{Huntington-Ashland-Ironton MSA}}
{{West Virginia municipalities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Wayne County, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in West Virginia]]
[[Category:West Virginia populated places on the Big Sandy River]]
[[Category:West Virginia populated places on the Tug Fork]]