Discreet Manila

How things work in Epitome

2009-07-18T11:48:00.002+08:00

From past posts here in Discreet Manila, you should already know where Epitome is (and how to get there), how the bathhouse is laid out (so you won’t get lost or look lost), and what are its themed nights. So now I’ll explain how things work in Epitome and what norms, procedures and things that you can expect there so that you won’t go around looking clueless (and therefore prey to others).

Epitome’s entrance, manned by a friendly security guard, is just a doorway leading straight to a stairway. On the second floor landing is a bulletin board where you can check out the posted promos and events. To the left is a door which leads to yet another stairway on top of which is the registration booth, which is usually manned by a hunky guy.

If this is your first time to go to Epitome or you are renewing your membership, the attendant will give you a registration form that you need to fill up and you need to provide him with an ID. I think you can get away with providing minimal information in the form, but the name you write must match the one on the ID. The attendant may also have you sign the back of a membership card that he will provide you (or later before you leave). You also need to pay the membership fee which I think is P280. The membership fee also serves as your entrance fee for that night.

If you are already a member, then you only need to provide the attendant with your membership card and an ID and you need to pay the entrance fee, which varies with the time you arrive (the earlier, the cheaper) and the day of the week (weekends are more expensive). The average price you will shell out is around P200.

After everything is in order, the registration attendant will give you a padlock and a pair of keys. If you brought a bag, the attendant will also claim it for deposit there. In addition, depending also on the time, you may be given a drink stub that you can redeem for a free drink. The attendant will then ring a bell (of sorts) where you will be ushered into the left door. Inside, a waiting attendant will get all your valuables and deposit them in one of the safety deposit boxes using one of the keys given to you (the box’s number matches your padlock’s). You have to leave everything valuable: cellphone, wallet, keys, wristwatch, etc. The attendant will then frisk you to check that you have left nothing else.

From there you can proceed to the lounge area. During Fridays and Saturdays, there is usually a show on the lounge’s stage, usually a gay comedy show with karaoke singing—basically your typical bar program that you can see elsewhere. You can opt to stay and watch the show (and sing if you want) and drink at the bar there, or proceed to the bathhouse proper.

The bathhouse proper’s entrance can be found from the back of the lounge going outside the back and down a steep set of stairs. After entering the door, you will find yourself in the locker room where a waiting attendant will give you a towel and a pair of slippers. He may also ask you your padlock number and point you to the matching locker where you will deposit your clothes. You have to change into the towel and slippers before you can proceed to the other areas. The keys are attached to a wrist band which you can then wear while inside the bathhouse proper.

From then on, it’s pretty much up to you. I suggest you go and explore. Try to familiarize yourself with the floor plans I provided so that you won’t get lost. In addition, you can also get your drinks at the bar on the ground floor. When ordering your drink, you can give your drink stub if you have one. Additional drinks will be charged to your number which the bartender will ask every time you order a drink. The payment will be conducted at the registration booth when you leave. (Surprisingly, the bartender rarely checks your keys to confirm the locker number. So theoretically, you can charge your drinks to somebody else.) You can also order food if you want; just ask the bartender.

Once you’ve had your fill of, uh, men and want to leave, just change back to your clothes at the locker room then give the attendant your towel and slippers. You can also freshen up using the provided toiletries at the dresser there. Then, retrace your steps back to the safety deposit boxes where the attendant will get your stuff and hand it back to you. From there, you go to the registration booth (via a different hallway) where you give the registration attendant your padlock and keys. You then have to pay for any additional drinks you ordered. The attendant will then give you your ID and your membership card, and your bag if you brought one. Finally, you can leave the premises and come back another day.

Shown above is a photo of the back of the membership card, which is just a piece of cardboard. There’s a bar code, an ID number, and a space for your signature. The front of the card just depicts Epitome’s logo. They used to have the card laminated but now no longer.

Trivia: Epitome's official name is Epitome Cafe and Fitness Center and the corporation behind it is named Hedoniste Inc. How do I know the corporation? I’ve seen the business permit posted at the registration booth. I’ve also learned that Epitome is registered in the City of Manila as a restaurant, would you believe?

Discreetness is not black-and-white thing

2009-07-15T23:49:00.004+08:00

I’ve written over a year ago about the subtle differences between being closeted/out and being discreet/indiscreet (and also a bit about being masculine/effeminate). These are all interrelated but distinct concepts. To recap, being closeted/out is really all about whether other people know whether you are straight or not, while being discreet/indiscreet is all about how you act and behave to prevent other people from knowing about your sexual orientation.

For this post, I’ll expand on the statement I wrote then that there are “many shades to being discreet.” This means that there is no strict line between being a discreet PLU one minute and suddenly no longer being one. Discreetness is not a black-and-white thing.

I guess at the most discreet level are those uber-paranoid guys that like to control every aspect of other people knowing about their hidden life. These are the guys that prefer one-on-one encounters brokered over the Internet but never posting nor sharing their pictures online. These guys will definitely never go to gay clubs, bathhouses, and other similar venues. They may also refrain from having sex in motels (lest the staff know about them), would shy away from casual encounters in malls and in the gym (since they would prefer to know if the other guy is as discreet as them without the guy knowing how they look like), and would never be seen with another guy in public if there’s a chance that other people might mistake them as being on a date.

Unfortunately, these guys are the least likely to get action and their paranoid behavior make them really irritating to deal with. So unless a guy like that is someone with a lot to lose (like a celebrity or maybe even a tsinoy dude with an intensely traditional family) he will likely relax some aspects of his behavior if he really want to explore what it really means to be PLU.

On the other end of the spectrum are those guys that don’t care what other people think. And because they don’t care, discreetness is a non-issue. (But it doesn't mean they turn effeminate—remember that masculinity vs. effeminacy is a different concept.) When asked, they won’t deny that they’re gay or bi. And in public, they may hold their partner’s hand or even display affection.

Between these two extremes is a lot of gray area, and that gray area does not even have clearly defined levels. Gay guy A may chose to be less discreet in one aspect or in one situation but be very discreet in another while PLU B would have it the other way around. Is one more discreet than the other? When PLUs say that they want to meet a discreet guy, they are actually saying that the other person must be as discreet as them or more so in all the aspects or situations where they are being discreet.

A case in point: in gay social networking sites, like the old Guys4Men, there are some guys who don’t post pictures of themselves because they say they are “discreet.” By claiming that, they then automatically imply that all the other guys that have visible pictures are not discreet anymore. I don’t think that that is the case, right?

Anyway, discretion is not a bad thing, but I take exception when people use their standards of discretion as a form of unreasonable discrimination. It’s understandable if you only prefer guys who have similar levels of discreetness as you do but it’s not right to judge other people for having different standards of discretion from you.

Pinoy PLU Signal: Apathetic to Basketball

2009-07-12T14:11:00.006+08:00

Basketball is so freaking popular in the Philippines that practically every barangay has its own basketball court and every village its own summer liga (league). And one thing I’ve noticed is that almost every PLU friend I know is not into basketball outside of UAAP/NCAA and NBA. If any gay guy is interested at all, then it would likely be because of the hunky cagers, especially those that have crossed over into showbiz or modeling like Ram Sagad, Bruce Quebral, Chris Tiu, Simon Atkins, JC Tiuseco, Derick Hubalde, and Marx Topacio.

I have no idea why gay people, in general, are not into basketball as much as straight guys. I don’t think it’s because gay guys are not into sports. One reason I can think is that basketball is a contact sport (unlike, say, volleyball or badminton) and because of that, established basketball teams will likely shun gay players who are out especially in this still-homophobic country like ours. Also, I think that closeted potential players would likely find the physical contact in the game too much for comfort. Of course I’m just speculating here and I would certainly appreciate any ideas.

I’ll just leave you with this funny local commercial (that you already ought to have seen) about a closeted MVP cager unmasked by a iced tea drink / truth serum. It also helps that the MVP’s two teammates here are very yummy.

200 subscribers!

2009-07-02T20:30:00.004+08:00

While the actual count does change day by day (sometimes going up or going down), I think that it’s safe to say that Discreet Manila has crossed the threshold of 200 subscribers according to Google Feedburner, which handles this blog’s subscription feed. Yay! I’d like to give a big shoutout to all of my readers: thank you very much for supporting this site!

If I remember correctly, it was back in January that Discreet Manila got a hundred readers, a little less than a month before this site’s first anniversary. That means that the first 100 came in the first 11 months while the next 100 joined in just 5 months. Wow! I’m really overwhelmed by the vote of confidence, guys! Thank you very much!

So, how long do you think before Discreet Manila gets 300 readers? I hope it happens before the end of the year.

Pick-up

2009-07-01T07:31:00.001+08:00

Has someone ever tried picking you up while you were standing on a sidewalk minding yourself? Well, I had that experience and the first time happened back in 2004.

It was nighttime. I was waiting then along Julia Vargas Avenue besides Megamall, waiting for my ride to fetch me. There was this one guy I noticed scoping me out. I did not think much of him because, although I sensed that he wasn’t straight, he was an ordinary-looking middle-aged guy. He disappeared after a while.

After a few more minutes, I saw him crossing back the street to my side. By then, we two were the only ones standing near the intersection. He was looking at me and I was looking at the road waiting for my ride.

He approached me and asked, “Pwede magtanong?” (Classic.) “Alam mo ba kung saan ang CoffeeLine?” (Pick-up tip #1: invent an obscure-sounding shop nobody knows so you can talk with the target person longer.)

“Sorry, di ko alam ’yon,” was my disinterested reply. I tried my best to put on my most snobby demeanor that my friends usually complain about.

“’Di ba sa may Shaw lang iyon?” he pressed.

(Eh, alam mo pala eh, ba’t ’di mo hanapin?) “Wala talaga akong alam na CoffeeLine.”

Unperturbed, he paused for a while before asking, “Anong pangalan mo?” I thought he’d never ask.

“Bakit?”

He offered his hand and introduced himself, “My name’s Eric.” Man, I don’t know if I’d admire him for being brave or pissed at him for being thick-faced. If I were in his shoes, I’d mutter a quick “sorry” and be on my way.

But since I’m not that rude a person to refuse an introduction, I shook his hand. “Vince,” came my reply.

Then comes the kicker. “Nagpapabayad ka ba?” Man! I knew I was expecting it but actually hearing it was quite a different experience. I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.

“Ha?! Hindi.”

With a disappointed look, he utters “sorry” then crossed back the street hailing a taxi on the other side.

But the story didn’t end there. While still waiting for my ride, another guy was scoping me out as well. He is younger but still an ordinary-looking guy. Sigh. Why can’t the semi-cute guys be the ones who approach? Probably because most of them are playing hard-to-get.

Like the first one, this second guy finally gathered enough guts to approach and ask, “Pwedeng matanong kung anong oras na?” (Pick-up tip #2: If all else fails, ask for the time.)

He asked it because I was fiddling with my cellphone. Unfortunately for him, I was tinkering with it because it was having problems. I honestly couldn’t tell what time it was so I sincerely replied, “’Di ko alam eh.” Sounds mean, I know.

Unlike the first guy, he took the hint and went away.

Up till now, I still don’t know why two guys approached me that night. I didn’t think that Julia Vargas was a popular cruising/pick-up spot nor was I dressed like a call boy. I usually have a snobby look about me so the experience was totally unexpected. I laugh at it now and now I’m just curious if you guys have ever had similar experiences as well.

Spock makes out with a male humanoid!

2009-06-29T23:53:00.004+08:00

Nope, this isn’t about the Kirk/Spock slash fiction but rather about Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Spock in the new Star Trek movie (and Sylar in the TV series Heroes), and his kinky sauna scene in the 2006 TV show So NoTORIous.

Basically, way before Zach became famous as Sylar and before his acclaimed Vulcan role, he played Sasan, an openly gay Iranian-American character in So NoTORIous, which had Tori Spelling in the leading role. The sauna scene in particular had him make out with another guy, to the disgust of the lady sharing the sauna with them (the sauna is apparently unisex). I find the guy he makes out with pretty sexy, actually.

You can see a video of the scene on YouTube. Unfortunately, I couldn’t embed the video here so I just pasted a screenshot of the “hot” scene below. Consider this as a light respite from the serious blog posts that I’ve been doing lately.

The 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots

2009-06-28T23:27:00.004+08:00

Forty years ago today, the Stonewall riots started in New York City. Those riots marked the birth of the modern gay rights movement, one that is characterized by militant activism and pride consciousness. The Stonewall anniversary (June 28) has been romanticized to such a degree that it has become the most important “holiday” among gay men and women (World AIDS Day, December 1, and the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia [IDAHO], May 17, being two others). Stonewall was so important that I consider them to be one of the three landmark moments in the history of gay people (the other two are the AIDS pandemic and the rise of the Internet).

Just so you know, Stonewall is the reason why we have the (in)famous White Parties during the last weekend of June in Malate and elsewhere. Unfortunately, this year’s White Party in Malate has been canceled due to budgetary constraints. So, individual clubs and bars have organized their own mini White Parties, like the foam party that I think happened last night at Queeriosity Palace.

I’ve attended a White Party once in Malate (just to try it), but that was years ago. While I support the idea of “gay pride” in principle, I went to the White Party just to party a bit (and possibly meet other guys) and not really to participate in the larger pride movement. As I blogged back in December, I don’t feel proud to be gay nor do I feel it is necessary for me at all. Despite going out to gay-oriented places, I’m still very much in the closet to the vast majority of people I know: colleagues in the office, friends from college, batchmates in high school, and especially family and relatives. With my mostly closeted status, gay pride is a concept that I certainly can’t embrace (at least for the moment).

Forty years is a nice round time period deserving of attention. But June 28, 2009 for me is just another day, with this post as a celebratory token of sorts. Will I be more un-apathetic come the golden anniversary? I guess time will tell. But then, I’m not inclined to lean one way or the other.

How about you? What is June 28, 2009 for you?

Two interesting stories from Inquirer.net

2009-06-24T00:18:00.003+08:00

I generally enjoy browsing the newspaper whether on dead-tree versions or online. Well, here are a couple of recent articles I’ve read from Inquirer.net that you might find interesting. Of course they are related to our PLU world. One is a police report about a carnapping during an eyeball and the other is a lifestyle article of a daughter’s confession about her gay dad.

‘Text mate’ steals car during ‘eyeball’

A man lost a company-issued vehicle to his text mate after they agreed to meet for the first time in an apartelle in Quezon City earlier this month.

The car thief later abandoned the vehicle at the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City where it was found by the police.

I like how this article treats as a non-issue the fact that two guys met via a TV chatroom and then checked in at an apartelle. Reading between the lines, it’s quite obvious that the man whose vehicle was stolen is PLU—there’s very little other likely explanation—and the the text mate/carnapper is a tripper of some sort.

One can hope that the complainant is out in the office or it’d be hard to explain to his company why the car got stolen. I guess the moral of the story is to always be careful whenever you are meeting with someone (yes, that tired old cliché). But more importantly, don’t use company-issued stuff on occasions not related to your work!

Outing My Father

My father and I were extremely close. Sometimes, even my high school classmates would express envy at our closeness. I would tell my dad everything, and I was more close to him than my mother.

No one would have guessed that he is gay. He works for an IT company as a consultant for foreign transactions and though it is not as macho as say, a position in the military or in an architectural or engineering firm, his work reflects himself—highly organized, quick to respond to changes and find solution to problems.

Stories like this should not be anymore surprising, but I still can’t help but be fascinated about married men leading double lives. What interesting in this case is that the wife knows that her husband is gay and that she consents to it, which I guess makes her a martyr of sorts. I find it heartening to see that the daughter has adjusted to her dad’s sexuality after the initial shock. Now what I’m left wondering is if the brother knows and also whether the dad knows that his daughter knows or not.

I personally can’t inflict such kind of emotional damage on a woman and so I will definitely not get married to the opposite sex. (Well, marriage is possible if the woman is aware of my sexuality and consents to see the marriage as an arrangement of some kind, but that kind of thinking leads to a whole lot of complications that I don’t want to think about.)

Anyway, I’m quite intrigued by the fact that the daughter had to mention that her dad is a gym buff who spends a couple of hours or so in the gym after work. I’m now fantasizing that the father falls under the DILF category. Hehehehe.

Discreetionary: Fitness Feast

2009-06-14T21:03:00.001+08:00

Fitness Feast [FIT·nes FEEST] noun 1. Alternate name for the Fitness First chain of gyms. etymology: from the fact that Fitness First is the most cruisiest gym chain in Metro Manila.

I've elaborated in a previous post that Fitness First is the best gym if cruisiness is the only criterion. And this is pertinent since after all, gym is the gay church. Thus we have this alternate name for FF (which I got from CC) due to the many carnal opportunities that is possible here. I've visited FF a few times but I have yet to enjoy the feast.

Featured website: Manila Gay Guide

2009-06-13T20:11:00.000+08:00

I try to provide nice guide-articles here in Discreet Manila (like my series of posts on bathhouses) but I can’t cover everything Metro Manila has to offer. So I’m quite happy to point you to other places on the Net where you can find more information. One of the more informative blogs I’ve come across last year is the Manila Gay Guide.

Ignoring the fact that the blog’s title is a ripoff of MGG’s old slogan, the site contains plenty of articles to help you enjoy the Manila PLU scene. Some choice articles is this one detailing how gay massage parlors operate, and this blog entry providing a nice introduction into popular types of cruising venues in the metro. I think the specialty of Manila Gay Guide is the massage parlor scene. Fully more than half of the posts are about individual parlors or the industry in general.

While the site’s last post was way back in March, I think that the site is still useful in the information it provides. Then again, the gay massage parlor industry here in Metro Manila is very volatile so it’s likely that the information on individual spas would be outdated by now. But, I think there is a market for such information so I encourage anyone to take the baton and start their own “Manila Gay Guide” blog.

Aki Sato: “I look more Filipino than Japanese or Brazilian”

2009-06-12T19:47:00.006+08:00

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Philippine Independence Day than by pointing you to this recent article on Inquirer.net where Japanese-Brazilian model Akihiro Sato basically professes his love for the Philippines.

The way Japanese-Brazilian model Akihiro Sato put it, he’s as Pinoy as adobo.

“I look more Filipino than Japanese or Brazilian,” he said of his affinity to the Philippines, adding that he felt instantly at home here.

“I was supposed to live in Thailand, but after spending my vacation here, I decided to stay,” he recalled.

When asked if he is enjoying it here in the Philippines, Aki replied, “Sobra. Maraming kaibigan dito. Magaganda mga babae dito.” Yes, he answered in Tagalog. It can be recalled that Akihiro had enrolled in Tagalog tutorials from U.P. to learn the vernacular; proof that he’s here for the long haul. And we don’t mind! We can’t get enough of him, right guys? By the way, he said his favorite Pinoy dishes are adobo and tapa. Well, we certainly want his tapa. Hehehehe.

Pinoy PLU Signal: The Agency

2009-05-26T23:23:00.003+08:00

Welcome to Pinoy PLU Signals! This is another series of posts, just like my Discreetionary series, but this time focusing on signals that may indicate whether a Pinoy guy is PLU. There have been many surveys and studies that aimed to measure the incidence of non-straight men in a general population and estimates range from as low as 1% to as high as 10%. Pinoy PLU Signals are signs that, I think, would give you a batting average of more than 10%. Take note that these signals are not scientific and are provided in the spirit of fun. Enjoy!

“Bading na nga, copywriter pa. How redundant.”—Eric Quizon’s gay character in Happy Together

Our first signal is The Agency, that is, guys who are in the advertising industry, whether they are employees of ad agencies, or are in the brand management team of the products being advertised. It has been frequently stereotyped that gay men are more creative than straight men and the glamorous Philippine advertising industry, being the way it is, would prove irresistible to gay creatives. The prime blogger example is, of course, the Fabcaster’s very own Joel McVie. There are a lot of other gay bloggers in the ad industry and I am aware of one such group on LiveJournal.

I actually laughed out loud when I heard the quoted line above while watching Happy Together, a local movie starring Kris Aquino and Eric Quizon as best friends. In the film, Quizon plays a gay man working as a copywriter in an ad agency and I found the line funny because I have a good PLU friend who was a copywriter himself (he’s now an account executive, or AE in industry parlance). The fact that I know quite a bit of PLU guys in the ad industry is for me a strong indicator that The Agency is a Pinoy PLU Signal. Agree or disagree?

Short update on the 2009 M2M Sex Survey

2009-05-14T19:10:00.001+08:00

I blogged about the 2009 M2M Sex Survey back in March and the survey period has finally closed last April 30. While the summary and analysis is still not out (they expect to release it within 60 days), I’m pretty damn impressed with the turnout. Check out the following message they posted:

This survey is now closed. Over 15 thousand of you have filled out the survey, making this one of the largest surveys of its kind on record.

We would sincerely like to thank all participants, community and media partners for making this research project such an enormous success.

15,000 respondents? Wow! Even discounting bogus entries, I think that’s quite a lot. Hopefully the survey results will greatly benefit safe sex practices and help curtail the rise of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted infections and diseases.

So, were you able to answer the survey? What did you think about it?

The raid at Sanctum (part 3)

2009-05-13T23:41:00.003+08:00

To conclude this series on the Sanctum raid (see the first part and the second part) let’s revisit a couple of posts I did one year ago. I know that these posts are not nearly as interesting as my cruising articles, but I consider spreading vital information quite important. If this means that this will be a yearly topic, then so be it.

The legality of raids

In this article, I discussed two of the three legal provisions behind all of the raids conducted against PLUs and the establishments that cater to us. These three provisions are:

Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code or the provision against "immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows"
Article 202 of the same Code, also known as the Anti-vagrancy Law
Republic Act No. 9208 otherwise known as the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003

The 2003 raid at Alta Theater in Cubao (instigated by ABS-CBN), the 2004 raid at Bath bar in Malate, and the 2008 raids on Queeriosity Palace, Adonis, and Sanctum (instigated by GMA) all stem from these three laws. I concluded in that article of mine that these laws are give law enforcers ample ammunition to conduct raids and harass PLUs due to unclear or too broad definitions (obscenity, pornography, indecency, etc.).

Know your PLU rights!

Fortunately for us, we can fight back! Ang Ladlad has this Pink Card program where they distribute pink cards containing succinct info that you can use to at least rebuff or slow down the efforts of law enforcers. They are able to prey on gay and bisexual men because of the lack of awareness, intimidation, and the threat of exposure. Well, exposure we can do little against, but we can at least be aware and not be intimidated, right?

So last May 2008, Ang Ladlad held a seminar called “Know Your Rights!” where they educated attendees about their rights should they be harassed by law enforcers and talked about the Pink Card.

When I promoted Ang Ladlad’s event, little did I know that the triggering incident that led to the need to conduct the seminar was the Sanctum raid (and partly by the Queeriosity raid too). Being the discreet guy that I am, I did not attend this seminar. (Well, it was also far from where I stay. Hehehe.) Fortunately, Lobster-Tony volunteered to attend in behalf of all of us and he blogged about it. I encourage you read his post since it is chock full of information that can help you in case you’re caught in a tight spot.

Remember, the police and NBI are able to do this simply because they think we are easy prey. We shouldn’t continue to give them that impression and equipping ourselves with knowledge is simply the best defense we can have.

The raid at Sanctum (part 2)

2009-05-10T23:47:00.003+08:00

To continue my earlier post about the raid at Sanctum last year, let me share with you a couple of very emotional and unedited responses posted to the Guys4Men forums (which are no more) within a week or two after the raid. These posts were made by people not directly involved with the incident but you can see the anger directer towards GMA and NBI. Good thing I was able to save these two messages before Guys4Men closed shop.

I wasn’t able to save the person who posted this first message. If you are the one who posted this or you know who it was, I'd appreciate some info so at least I can attribute this properly.

Sa mga baklang nasusuholan at nagmamalinis, isumbong niyo ko kasi in-expose ko 'tong pangingikil ng mga taga NBI na mga mukhang pera.

Para may fulfillment ulit ang pagkatao niyo dahil may nagagawa kayong kabutihan para bansa. Masaya na ba kayo sa pinaghati-hatian ninyong mga pera mula sa kinikil niyo sa mga customers ng Sanctum? Anung feeling na sa likod ng success niyo ay mga mga taong napahiya, natakot at nahirapan, nawalan ng pera at gamit? Di ba masaya?

Mga walanghiya kayo. At hindi ako natatakot sa mga kagaya niyon duwag na aatake ng patalikod at gagamit nga mga patibong. Kayo ang mga tunay na bakla. Mga takot sa katotohanan. Mga ipokritong nilalang. Mga santong malinis at busilak. Magbabalita at mag-eexpose ng katiwalian subalit aayusin sa pamamagitan ng isa pang katiwalian. Kayo ang mga tunay na pahamak at problema ng bansa. Kayong mga hayok at gahaman sa pera ng ibang tao, kayong mga nagkukubli sa ngalan ng batas at hustisya na pagkatpos ng lahat-lahat ay hihingi ng bayad sa ginawang trabaho sa pamamagitan ng pagkotong at pangingikil.

Kayo ang perwisyo sa ibang tao. Malasakit ba ang tawag sa ginawa ninyo sa mga customers ng Sanctum? Bakit niyo sila tinakot at tinratong parang mga kriminal kung kapakanan nga nila ang ipinaglaban niyo? Mga pahalang ang mga utak niyo.

Kayong mga sinungaling at mga inconsistent magpalakad ng sistema --- pera pera ang laro at usapan. Pag wala kang pera, wala kang karapatan!

Mahiya kayo sa mga pamilya niyo na pinapalamon niyo sa pamamagitan ng perang kinikil niyo at mga sinuhol sa inyo. Kung amg may-ari ng establishment ay mali, eh anung tawag niyo sa ginawa niyo? Karumaldumal kayo. Nautringang law enforcers at media eh mga lapastangan din naman!

The irony of it all ---- Dalawang organisasyon na dapat ay alalay ng bayan para sa tahimik at may hustisyang bansa ay siya palang ikasisira ng Pilipinas. Shame on you -- kayo ang mga totoong bakla. Kayo ang mga bading dahil hindi niyo kayang mabuhay kung hindi kayo kikikil sa pinaghirapan ng iba!

This second post is by Badong, a Mandaluyong guy who sidelines as a masseur.

Let me tell you something.

I have a friend from abroad who works as an IT consultant and he is being sent by his country every month here in the Philippines. We met though Guys4Men. And I mean, I am his only friend here. He's from another asian country and his English is not really that good. He's average looking, soft-spoken and discreet.

Wednesday afternoon, he visited my place and we watched American Idol. he had to leave around 7PM because a massage client is coming over. he was asking me to go with him to Sanctum around 10PM because he wanted to see the show that night so I told him I can't cuase I have another client late evening. I promised to text him the direction on how to get there and I suggested he take a cab.

Around 11PM while I was massaging a client in Shaw, Mandaluyong, this friend of mine called up for directions as he was on his way so I helped him out over the phone.

Few minutes after 1AM ( when I was home already chatting with friends at the condo's clubhouse area ) he called me again telling me that the bar got raided and that he is in NBI Taft. He gave the phone to someone whom he described as a police ( maybe an NBI Officer ) who further told me about what happened and this guy on the phone asked me to come over to NBI Taft cause my friend needs help. I was totally surprised and almost panicked. "Oh no! I can't beieve this!" I flew myself to NBI taft via cab feeling so concerned and scared for my foreigner-friend.

I got there around 1 30AM and tried to explain to the guards about the purpose of my entry, very seriously yet soft-spoken. The guards were not in their uniform and they were babbling "Anung kelangan mo boy?!" Then I saw this mug on a plastic chair filled with ice and rhum ( yes, lasing ang mga lecheng guwardiya!) So I explained myself again --- "Ah...Pupuntahan ko lang po sana yung friend ko na napasama sa raid.Foreigner kasi eh, hirap magsalita. May tumawag po sa akin na puntahan ko daw siya dito, nakausap ko isang taga NBI sa cellphone." The fatso and ugly guard said "Walang pumapasok dito kundi mga mayayamang may-ari at mga abogado. Hindi pwede!" A little scared now, I backed off and said "Ah, gaun po ba? Pasensya na."

When I was about to leave, a guy walking out towards the gate called my name "Badong? Remember me? Kasama ka ba dun?" He was talking to me as he pulled me to the dark area of NBI just beside the gate. He's one of the guys I had sex with just three weeks ago. This guy told me about the raid that happened. He admitted that he was one of the guys caught and he even tried to escape but still got caught anyway. The interesting part was when he told me that he used to work for Imbestigador. "Pinalabas lang ako agad kasi nakilala ako ng isang crew ng program. Tinawagan si Mike Enriquez so kinausap yung mga taga NBI na pakawalan ako. May kasal pa nga akong pupuntahan eh, ex-boyfriend ko. 10AM so kelangan ko talaga makauwi na." He told me further. While he was telling me all these, questions started to pop-out of my mind. I started to dount his involvement as a victim of the raid. It was turning out to me that he's the accomplice. Anyway, I told him about my friend and he just said "Don't worry. Documentation lang naman yun. Palalabasin din sila mamaya. I know what happens during things like this. But now I am not with Imbestigador. Malas ko lang kasi napsama ako ngayon sa raid. Bago na kasi mga crew and mga tao nila. Ayoko sana pumunta sa Sanctum kanina pero pinipilit kasi nila ako. Pag ako daw kasi ang nagpaususo, magugulat lahat ng tao sa laki ng titi ko ( this guys has one of the thickest dicks ever --- sobra). I jokingly asked "Pinilit ka ng mga kasama mo sa Imbestigador na sumama?" He laughed and said "Hindi ah, mga kaibigan ko." But then I got more confused about his involvement, really. This guy, regardless of what happened even asekd me to suck him right there in front of NBI ( nabitin daw kasi siya at cute daw yung nakatabi niya sa NBI ). I strongly refused so he went to adark spot beside the LRT Station and jerked-off, after which he took my number and left. Whew!

All the while I've been texting my friend to know about his condition. I got no reply so I was getting more worried.

I walked back to the NBI gate and this time, a new guard took-over but still fat and a little lazy, sleepy-looking one in his early fifties. I tried to talk to him but also wouldn't let me in. "Bukas na lang bumalik, mga ala otcho. Di pa makakalabas yung mga yun." I insisted by saying "Eh, kasi po, walang kasama yung kaibigan ko tsaka ako lang po ang kakilala nun dito, kawawa naman po." He just said the same statement. I was starting to feel tired and frustrated. I t was almost 3AM so I went to the nearest Chowking and took a cup of coffee --- thinking about my friend.

After thirty minutes, I went to NBI again. Hid myself on the right side and sat on the concrete sidewalk and watched some MMDAs checking the LRT walls and pillars. I gave my friend a short call and dropped it afraid that I will run-out of load soon and all he was saying was "I don't know what's going on now. Hey took my picture and my money and my finger print....". I kept on re-assuring him that I was gonna wait for him and he needs not to worry. A few minutes later, I fell asleep while sitting against the NBI front wall along Taft while jeepneys and motorbikes pass by. I waited and waited and it was already 4AM. I decided to go home and told my foreigner-friend to take a cab and go to my cono unit once he's released. I took a cab and while on my way back home, he texted me "Please, don't go. Wait for me. The police will free me soon." So I asked the cab-driver to drive me back to NBI. I waited for another 30-minutes while comforting my friend with my text messages. I even asked him to remind the NBI ( the one who promised to set him free ) about letting him go cause it was already 4:35AM and yet I don't see anyone waling out towards the gate.

A girl and a guy arrived. They started talking to guards ( this time another fat officer guy or whatever he is in red shirt joined the one in blue ). And wow, they let these two people get in. They even accompanied all the way inside the premise. I supposed they're family or relative of one of the guys who got caught. I reallized how unfair the guards were. I felt terrible but kept my cool and waited.

Around 5AM, I saw a group of six or seven guys waling out. A few meters more from my spot, I saw my friend walking slowly and sad. The moment he stepped right out of the gate, I called his name, ran towards him and held him so tight. And then I saw my ex-collegaue who was very pissed and ridiculed of what happened. The three of us took a cab heading home and my friend decided to spend the rest of the day with me at my condo while my ex-colleague kept on whining. he was whining about NBI asking money from the captives. Aside from the traumatic experience, NBI was blackmaling them about filing charges against them -- the captives / Sanctume customers if they don't give out cash. My friend also told me that he was isolated from the Pinoys when NBI learned he's from abroad ( from another asian country and he's chinoy looking ). Further they both told me that NBI was trying to identify or find out who amonst them is a doctor, lawyer, businessman etc. I mean, why?

See how ironic the situation is? Imbestigador exposing interesting and intriguing stories in collaboration with NBI --- where the accomplices of Imbetigador of course are all cocksucking hypocrite faggots! And NBI --- all they wanted was money and not really doing the job. This made me realize how beautiful it is to live in this country!

I used to work in the media industry and the reason why I left is because I cannot take the idea of exaggerating or sensationalizing a news or a story to make it more interesting to the audience. Ew!

So, what exactly are these people up to?

Can Imbestigador also feature NBI's acts of extortion or pangingikil? Can they talk about NBI blackmailing Sanctum's customers that they caught? What about that guy with a huge cock who was released immediately after spekaing to Mike Enriquez, huh? Was that even fair? And the girl and guy whom the guards allowed to get inside NBI premise while they refused entry for me?

What's going on with you cockhungry envious fags and money-eating law enforcers! You all suck!!!!

This country will never-ever succeed unless you guys die. You all die now!

Shame on you all!

Shame!!!

Shame!!!!!

Mas nakakahiya pa kayo sa mga baklang hinuli niyo! Kapal niyong magmaganda!

Continue to the final part.

The raid at Sanctum (part 1)

2009-05-07T23:52:00.007+08:00

“Guys i was in sanctum two weeks ago and it was raided and 42 of us were arrested and brought to the NBI.”—a Sanctum patron, May 2008

A year ago tonight, Sanctum in Cubao was raided by the NBI. Unlike the earlier raid on Queeriosity Palace back in April 2008, the operation at Sanctum was instigated by Imbestigador, the late-night exposé show of Mike Enriquez of GMA.

For those of you who are not familiar with Sanctum, this was a “private residence that has been opened by a group of friends catering to discreet gays/bi’s looking for a relaxed and safe venue to explore their innermost social and sexual desires,” according to those in charge. Sanctum is apparently a “project” of the Manjobs group that organized various O parties before.

Sanctum was raided on the night of May 7, 2008, during Sanctum’s Wednesday Body Worship (live sex) show. Special operatives of the NBI as well as a TV crew from GMA descended at the intersection of Stanford and Columbia streets in Cubao, Quezon City, forced their way into the house, and apprehended everyone: patrons, performers, and the manager/owner. They were boarded into jeepneys and then taken into custody at NBI in Manila. The owner was charged with violating Republic Act No. 9208, otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. In addition, Sanctum was operating like a business but it had no business permit. The owner, one Derek, was detained in a cell pending bail. I don’t know if he got out of jail by now.

Because GMA receives many complaints whenever they air these kinds of operations, they preempted the discussion by seeking the statement of Danton Remoto, the chair of Ang Ladlad. Danton basically agreed with the assertion that it is illegal to operate a commercial establishment without a business license and that the owner is basically just making a profit out of the whole enterprise. However in a later message to the And Ladlad mailing list, Danton claimed that GMA edited out his statements regarding the possibility that the law enforcers will ask kotong (extortion) from the apprehended patrons. These extortions were later confirmed by those apprehended through various messages left online, especially in the Guys4Men forums.

Following are the videos of Imbestigador’s segment featuring the raid. Thanks to Gay Xcandal for taping this.

Practically everyone involved in the mess was vilified by people who have heard of the story. The NBI as vilified for making this as another excuse to extort money from closeted gay people unwilling to be exposed. Mike Enriquez and GMA were vilified for exploiting gay people to jack up their ratings (and there were plenty of catcalls saying that Mike is gay himself and is being a hypocrite). The owners of Sanctum were vilified for operating without a business license. The customers were vilified for patronizing Sanctum and caving into their libido instead of doing other “worthwhile” pursuits. The “gay tipper” was vilified for bringing this misfortune on his fellow gay people (though some question whether there was any tipper at all, claiming that GMA pretended to have a tipper to deflect blame from them). And Danton Remoto himself was vilified for going along with the conclusion of the NBI and GMA instead of helping the victims. Well, this was a pretty sordid affair no matter how you look at it.

Continue to part 2.

Have you seen Shelter?

2009-05-05T23:53:00.000+08:00

If the 2007 movie Shelter had screened here in the country, I definitely wouldn’t think twice about watching it in the cinema. But as it is, I had to resort to downloading the film and watching it last Christmas break. Anyway, Shelter is a gay-oriented movie about a young man named Zack who discovers he might be gay and develops a relationship with Shaun, his best friend’s older brother who came back home. Zack then struggles to balance his commitments to his family and his dreams of going to art school while contending with his feelings for Shaun.

The plot is actually pretty flat compared to other movies that tackle similar themes. I’m also actually surprised by the relative lack of homophobia displayed by characters in the film. Then again, the setting is coastal California, Prop 8 notwithstanding. So despite the simplistic storyline and the lack of any really deep conflicts, I still ended up liking the movie a lot. I guess I’m just accustomed to watching lots gay movies having sad or tragic endings (Brokeback Mountain being the classical popular example) that seeing a lighthearted feel-good film for a change was very much welcome.

Well, it also helps that the actors playing Zack (Trevor Wright) and Shaun (Brad Rowe) were both yummy, making the movie very likable. Hehe. The sex scenes are solidly R-13 but the passionate kisses are really sweet and just right.

The existence of foreign gay indie movies like Shelter and Boy Culture really makes me wonder why local indie filmmakers can hardly create films of similar quality. While there’s a place for sex, sex and even more sex, a good polished story with tight film-making can win audiences just the same and even garner awards in international film festivals. Out of the several Pinoy gay indie films I’ve seen in the past year, most haven’t been really satisfying at all.

Discreetionary: AWW

2009-05-01T14:22:00.002+08:00

AWW · abbreviation. akbay while walking

Today’s Discreetionary entry was coined by a friend of mine as the discreet PLU version of HHWW-PSSP (holding hands while walking—pa-sway-sway-pa). If you’re discreet, you of course won’t show any overt signs of affection with your boyfriend or date in public. (You leave those signs inside darkened movie houses. Hehe.) So any physical touching should be minimized or at least be innocuous. For two straight guys, the most intimate touching that can be done while walking is possibly the akbay. (Is there any English word for this?) So in lieu of holding hands (or God forbid, wrapping your arm around his lower back), the “manly” buddy akbay is the way to go. Of course, gay people all around you will speculate upon seeing you two together in such a position, but that’s to be expected.

Now the question is, which type of akbay do you do? The near akbay, where you hang on to the shoulder of your partner nearest you, or the full akbay, wherein it is the other, farther shoulder you hold on to? I guess it depends on how discreet or paranoid you are and how much you like the guy.

Paraan at dahilan

2009-04-28T23:27:00.001+08:00

“Kung gusto, may paraan; kung ayaw, may dahilan.”

That’s what I told myself when I silently let go of this guy that I’ve been sort of pursuing for over a year. Let’s call him V. I first met V in Bed during the 2007 Christmas break. He was standing near the bar on the ground floor and I was attracted to his chinito looks and shaved head. We hit it off right away and ended up making out in the car somewhere in Malate before spending the night at his place. I rarely go to another guy’s pad after meeting him in Bed so the fact that I went with V says a lot about how much I like him.

We went out a few times after that and I visited him at his place and spent the night there several times. I’ve been single for quite a while and I considered V a really good prospect and was willing to see where things will eventually lead.

He says that he likes me a lot and I can tell because he’s quite malambing (affectionate) when we’re together at his house. But I can tell that he’s holding back and when I confronted him about it, he explained that he was still hurting from his previous relationship and that he needed time to “pick himself up.” I wasn’t in a hurry to get into a relationship so I told him that I was willing to wait.

And waited I did for several months. During that time I would occasionally ask him to go out to dinner with me or to watch a movie. He would reply that he was busy with work and that he promised to text me if ever he was free. Well, those texts never did come and I can’t reconcile the fact that he admits to liking me a lot but never finding the time to spend with me.

Action speaks louder than words and I guess he just was not interested enough. It’s been over a year since his break-up with his ex and I think that’s enough time to heal and to explore the possibility of spending time with other people. He says he likes me but he always had a reason. “Kung ayaw, laging mayroong dahilan.” And so I bid him adieu.

Easter Sunday message

2009-04-12T22:20:00.004+08:00

Today, Easter Sunday, is arguably the most important holiday in Christendom. Well, talking about religion and homosexuality together is quite a sensitive thing and yet, I’m going to do just that but in a relatively shallow manner. (I’ll leave the heavy discourse for a future article.) It’s a known fact that the Roman Catholic Church, of which the majority of Filipinos are a member of—in name if not in practice, is quite critical of homosexuality. The Church leaders say that we should “hate the sin, not the sinner” but I think this philosophy as applied to non-straight people is utter hogwash! This criticism of homosexuality has reached a fever pitch in the past few years ever since Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005. It can’t be denied that the current Pope is unabashedly homophobic more so than his predecessor Pope John Paul II, and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t have the charisma of the late Pope, thus earning him more enemies. (I’m a practicing Catholic, by the way.)

That said, I still feel Christian gay people in the Philippines are still lucky compared to their Muslim brethren in Arab countries. This was recently emphasized when news that three supposedly gay guys where murdered in Iraq greeted me during the start of Holy Week. And to think that two of those three were teenagers! See this news article for details. Being homosexual is punishable by death in many Arab countries and I’m just thankful that most Christian leaders will not go down that extreme path; we would just be called “an abomination” if you believe their interpretation of Leviticus, and simply be encouraged to join ex-gay ministries, which I don’t believe is effective for majority of gay men.

I am also thankful that the Catholic Church is relatively more tolerant than other Christian groups, especially the fundamentalist denominations in America and the Mormons. For example, the murder of Matthew Shepard, a famous victim of a gay-hate crime, was celebrated by the congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church, and their leader, “Rev.” Fred Phelps, even declared that Matthew is now burning in hell for being gay. The Westboro Baptist Church is the organization that maintains the utterly controversial God Hates Fags website, and is probably the most extreme anti-gay “Christian” group. (So they are not representative, mind you.) The Mormons, on the other hand, experimented with administering shock therapy to members found to be gay, as demonstrated in the gay film Latter Days. In addition, the Mormon Church is believed to be the religious group that provided the largest support to promote California’s Proposition 8.

Although I’m thankful that the Catholic Church doesn’t and won’t go to such extremes (well except for the Prop 8 thing), I don’t think that we should be complacent and accept thing as they are. The Church is extremely close-minded when it comes to homosexuality and I guess the best “war front” would be to convince the Catholic lay people that homosexuality is not as reprehensible as the leaders of the religion paint it out to be.

So, how’s your Holy Week?

2009-04-06T16:39:00.005+08:00

I guess it’s just a lucky coincidence that we have back-to-back long weekends this summer, like I mentioned back in January, due to the moved Araw ng Kagitingan and the Holy Week. I’m also quite sure that plenty of people took this Tuesday and Wednesday off so that they can have a 9-day vacation. And as expected, PLUs everywhere will or have already descended to the island of Mindoro to have their dose of sea, sun, sand, shore, surf, and, sex?

Even if you’ll be hitting the beaches of Puerto Galera only starting this Thursday, you can still whet your appetite by checking out my Puerto Galera guide, although it’s probably outdated already. (It’s been a few years since I’ve last been to Galera and I’m not going this year.) I’d certainly appreciate any updates or even stories from you guys.

White Beach photo from Wikipedia.

Would you wear an earring on the right ear?

2009-03-31T22:20:00.002+08:00

Do you wear an earring on one ear? If yes, on which ear do you wear it? Did you know that there is supposedly some rule that says that straight men wear earrings on the left ear and gay men on the right? (And some people mistakenly extend this rule by saying that bisexual men therefore wear earrings on both ears.) I find it actually amusing that I’ve heard of this “rule” back when I was a kid and still unsure of my own sexuality.

If you search the web and various Q&A sites, you’ll find that while many people are aware of this supposed convention, most are in agreement that it is ridiculous: men—gay, bi or straight—should feel free to wear any number of earrings/piercings on any ear they want (or even any other body part). I think there used to be a period in Western history wherein men wearing any earrings at all were considered gay, but I think the modern era is already past such foolishness.

Then again, I think the knowledge of such a rule is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Unless you have any other particular reason in wearing an earring on one ear or the other, I think most men who do not want to identify as gay (like the vast majority of discreet PLU guys) would choose to wear their earrings on the left ear. I mean, why would you want the drama, the gossip, and the teasing that comes with wearing an earring on the right ear, right? Well, if you actually observe guys with one pierced ear, you’ll find that almost all of them are pierced on the left.

So, what do you think?

Discreetionary: panic buying

2009-03-29T12:56:00.003+08:00

panic buying [PA·nick BUHY·ing] noun 1. A behavior done by a person in places for socializing near their closing times, characterized by a lowering of that person’s standards for interaction. etymology: from the economic concept of panic buying in which the connecting idea is that of a buyer’s perception of shortage or an expectation of reduced market supply.

When I first encountered this term in the PLU context, I immediately understood what it meant. Although the real economic panic buying means that people buy lots of stuff and the PLU version does not at all mean getting lots of guys, both concepts are similar in that there is an expected shortage of supply (i.e., the bar or club is closing soon). This is especially true for guys who haven’t scored yet. You can observe this all the time in bars, clubs, bathhouses, and even in gyms!

Unless you’re a really lucky person, I’m sure you’ve felt the urge to engage in panic buying even if ultimately you retain your pride and decide to remain scoreless instead of lowering your standards. I guess the motivating factor behind panic buying is that there’s an expensive entrance fee to a place and that your goal is to score and you haven’t scored yet. If your goal in going to a venue is different or the entrance is cheap or free, then there would no panic buying at all.

I’ll admit that I’ve done my own share of panic buying. Hehehe. If you want an informative discourse about panic buying, check out the latter half of this conversation between McVie and his friend.

Take the 2009 MSM Sex Survey

2009-03-26T11:54:00.006+08:00

Thanks to AJ, I learned about the 2009 MSM Sex Survey. It’s a survey for men who have sex with other men (MSM) in Asia. The results of this survey will help researchers analyze trends regarding sexual practices, beliefs, and knowledge of Asian PLUs especially with regard to HIV and AIDS. The survey is completely anonymous and would take about 15–20 minutes of your time. I encourage you to take it.

Yes, one big problem with this survey is that the respondents are completely self-selected (assuming that they only have the website and word-of-mouth to rely on). It’s unlikely that the survey will manage to get a random or representative sample of the Asian MSM population. But that’s the nature of polls that target PLUs; the problem of getting a good sample should not discourage you from participating. Any data is better than no data at all as long as the people who analyze the results mind the caveats of the sampling strategy.

Gay Sex in the 70s is a must-see documentary

2009-03-23T01:24:00.003+08:00

I said in my very first post that the three most important milestones I consider in the history of gay people in the last century are: the Stonewall Riots, the recognition of AIDS, and the mainstream rise of the Internet. Spanning the time period between the first two milestones, between June 1969 and June 1981, is the 70s. And boy, what a crazy decade that was! Well, what do you think happened after the centuries of repression that’s been violently released by the Stonewall riots and before the grim realization that unprotected sex has fatal consequences? Lots and lots and lots of gay sex. And that’s what the straightforwardly-named documentary Gay Sex in the 70s is all about. (See the official website.)

If there’s one word to describe this decade, it would be hedonistic. In a soundtrack filled with disco beats, Gay Sex in the 70s takes us back to that hedonism as told through the eyes of several gay men that lived back then in New York City and survived to tell the tale. Many reviews have said that this movie would be enlightening to younger viewers and boy was I ever enlightened! I had an inkling that gay sex was prevalent but I never imagined that gay sex was shockingly common back then. Sex occurred in abandoned piers, at the back of trucks, and along alleys. It happened at the backrooms of gay bars, in the dance clubs, and in the bathhouses that were open 24/7. Gey men even had sex publicly in Fire Island Pines, which seems to be the New York City–equivalent of Puerto Galera except that Fire Island looks like a more upscale gay paradise.

I’m actually quite disturbed by the recklessness of gay people back then when it came to sex and even drug usage. (I guess this is because of hindsight and the fact that I grew up in the age of AIDS.) Unlike straight men who might get girls pregnant, there seemed to be no adverse consequences to having gay sex back then. Even when they contracted STDs like gonorrhea, they just took antibiotic shots and rared to go back to the cruising scene as soon as the symptoms were gone. Gay men disdained condoms then and would be so addicted to sex (most of it unprotected) that it even affected other parts of their life. Sex was the norm—until they started dropping like flies. The media at that time called this unknown disease as the “gay cancer” and it was then that HIV and AIDS was discovered, to the horror of everyone.

Watching this film, I’m now not surprised that Christian fundamentalists latched to the conclusion that AIDS is a “gay disease” brought down by God to punish the homosexuals. I think that’s patently false, but one cannot avoid the likely conclusion that the unbridled gay sexual revolution in the 70s played a huge role in the spread of AIDS outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Anyway, the movie avoided ending itself on that depressing note by stating that the sexual energy was instead channeled into a positive form of activism whereby gays took charge in spreading information about AIDS, caring for AIDS victims, and basically making AIDS awareness and prevention strategies what it is today.

As far as documentaries go, Gay Sex in the 70s is not as polished as say, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth or even Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911. But the content of the film is what really matters and I heartily recommend PLUs everywhere to watch this. It’s very eye-opening and provides much needed perspective to the history of gay people. The movie is currently showing at Robinsons Galleria and I think it’s screening for only one week until Tuesday. Please do watch it if you can.