Dancing Queens

[Ijustwannateach]

Recently, I was finishing up at the gym and wondering what to do for the evening, when it suddenly occurred to me that a very Famous Member here was in town and it would probably be fun to go out to a certain Famous Gay Disco (named after a sadomasochistic Japanese comic book, which I certainly wouldn't have copies of in my collection back home). So I called him up and he agreed to meet!

We met in a coffee shop and proceeded to the disco just before show time. Even though it was a weekend night the crowd was relatively light (though it got thicker as time approached for the 11:30 show). This particularly disco has more mainstream reputation than one or two other discos in the same area [ironically, since its owner is also owner of some of the, um, less respectable types of gay establishments dotted through the area], which are crawling with financial types.

It had really changed since my last visit last year! They moved the stage around, changed the lights, cut a hole in the ceiling of one floor- it was hardly recognisable. The Famous Member (FM) pointed out various work in progress, having some experience in the business. We stood back with G&T's and waited for the show. FM joked that his boyfriend would be happy to see him standing with another farang and not a potential Thai rival!!!

They had a new opening routine with, for lack of a better description, Hip Hop Dancing Boys, who were at least cute. Some of them could even dance. Their leader put on an excellent act of enjoying himself and working the crowd (and looked much younger than his real age when he was both dancing and smiling), but he was also a concerned professional- several times during the night I noticed him looking down critically at the dancing group from different vantage points.

FM and I had had a great conversation before going to the disco- lots of gossip and lots of laughs. He was an attractive, maturing professional gentleman, and I was, as ever, myself (or was I? When I add the combination of the person I was before I had left home, to the person I was after I arrived in Thailand, did the two add to the sum of the parts or some other sum?). FM is currently on semi-long-stay as a tourist, and considering making the big move next year, to join his boyfriend. Well, let us join his boyfriend, who is about to appear on stage.

FM's boyfriend lip-synchs and dances as a female impersonator for the disco's evening show. I think it's probably stretching things a bit far to call him a ladyboy- he hasn't gone through any of the radical physical transformations, and there are still one or two masculine-style tattoos showing along the bare arms emerging from the evening gown. His hair and makeup style are very convincing, however, and his lipsynching and performance style, while still developing [he has only relatively recently changed over from being a male dancer, FM informs me], show a lot of talent and promise. He did a Whitney Houston number and a duet with a hilarious older ladyman [with interesting marks on her back apparently from some laser tattoo removal work]- the two of them pretended to be competing for attention from the crowd, which worked to both their advantages in collecting tips and the laughs of those watching them show off to each other. A Hong Kong group on the balcony made a spectacle of themselves tipping (eventually) both of them; the crowd loved it and must have thought they were rich fools. They were certainly Chinese, trying to order and boss the singers around in return for the tips.

There were a couple of cute male-role dancers, but surprisingly few among the main dance troupe. I have noticed, however, that those with such jobs seem to hold on to them for a long time, and one may see dancers in the various cabaret shows who have been in them many, many years- quite often they don't bear up too well under much direct lighting, but they all manage to be handsome (or beautiful), dashing, and graceful on the stage. FM informed me that their pay was strikingly little for the work that must have gone into the performance. A labour of love, in part, no doubt.

After the show, we hung out and chatted some more while FM's boyfriend got changed into his street clothes. FM greeted a lot of the dancers as they came out from the changing area, and I was introduced to several (as "Steven," naturally!). When FM's boyfriend emerged, we chatted for a few minutes. The two of them had plans, however, so we said our farewells and FM and I promised to meet again soon- I think we both had had a lot of fun.

Afterwards I hung out at the disco a bit longer... it was after 1, almost 1:30- and I thought- "I wonder if I can get a drink now?" As it turns out, I could and did. I danced a little and leered a lot- the hip-hop boys were back on stage (in an attempt to keep people there longer, FM had told me) and the lead dancer did his false flirting with me. Heck, I'm easy. I didn't get any interest except for a similarly bear-sized Thai man, whose overpersistent gropes and advances I finally had to reject with a bit more than a hint. Life is so cruel.

Later, I went home to my virginal bed, happy and tired. Once again, I had proven to myself it's better for me to enter a disco with a friend than to leave with one.

"Steven"

[Scott]

You are a very talented writer and story teller.

[Ijustwannateach]

The check's in the mail, Scott!

But thank you very much indeed.

It's nice of you to say so, even though I *do* have 1980-something posts, an assumed name, am possibly American and live in a cardboard box on irradiated noodles.

"Steven"

[PeaceBlondie]

The check's in the mail, Scott!

But thank you very much indeed. 

It's nice of you to say so, even though I *do* have 1980-something posts, an assumed name, am possibly American and live in a cardboard box on irradiated noodles.

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Steven, stay off those irradiated noodles; they're more dangerous than unradiant poodles.

[Ijustwannateach]

Yesterday evening was one of those wondrous nights for me in Bangkok.

In the course of one evening, I met and socialised with two college professors, a former Microsoft programmer, a Thai artist with his own gallery, a high school history professor, and a number of other charming and highly educated gentlemen- all in the course of a single evening of drinks at a small cafe.

This experience is not unique to Bangkok. In every country I have visited, if you are gay and you find the local hangouts, you find yourself in some of the best, most welcoming and supportive company in the world.

I feel almost sorry for some of my straight friends- for example, for them a Christmas party means a gathering of coworkers and wives at one of their apartments- enjoyable, but really- coworkers? For me and my gay friends, it is almost an embarrassment of choice how many different opportunities there are for convivial, festive gatherings of friends this holiday.

There is a parallel in the sense of expat communities, including this community at Thaivisa- I have a feeling that the fellowship generated from the offline meetings of people from this site is a similar form of camaraderie. But how much more effort it seems to take to arrange them, and how much less frequent they are!

Happy (and Gay) Holidays to us all! How lucky we are to be gay!

"Steven"