tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37297611976066590272026-03-29T19:37:00.617+08:00A gay guy's look at the discreet Manila scene.Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-64516755835655079622015-02-23T05:42:00.000+08:002015-02-23T05:49:11.593+08:00

If you have the time, do go and watch Kasal, a Cinemalaya 2014 film that started its commercial screening last Wednesday, February 18. I was able to watch it during its Cinemalaya run last August thanks to a friend's post on Facebook, and I was not disappointed. I didn't watch any of the other Cinemalaya films back then so I can't say if Kasal deserved its Best Film Award under the Director's

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-10106147155299903122014-04-09T17:52:00.002+08:002014-04-09T17:55:07.044+08:00

In the video above, Billy Eichner runs around the streets of New York with Paul Rudd asking random strangers if they would have sex with Paul for a dollar. Well, I’d do it for free! Even if he just turned 45 last April 6, he still looks mighty fine. I’ve had a crush on Paul Rudd ever since I saw him in the 1995 film Clueless where he played Josh, the cute, dorky stepbrother of Cher, Alicia

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-72627650650263300542014-03-31T07:10:00.000+08:002014-03-31T07:12:14.595+08:00

“More happiness!!” That’s what two people said when asked what marriage equality meant for them as the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 came into force in England and Wales last Saturday after being passed into law last year. And I agree. The fact that the state recognizes that two people are in love and confers them benefits regardless of their gender is surely a joyous thing. To

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-9593269977265671202014-03-10T04:00:00.000+08:002014-03-10T04:02:32.620+08:00

As some of you may know, yesterday was the last day of the local staging of the Australian production of the Broadway musical Wicked. If you’ve been wanting to see this play but haven’t done so, then you missed out on a really wonderful experience. I managed to watch the play late last month and I have to agree with what rudeboy said: it’s wicked good! Wicked is basically “the untold story of

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-53464933043100015392014-02-18T23:11:00.000+08:002014-02-18T23:14:16.298+08:00

“When did you choose to be straight?” This is actually a question that I keep in reserve in case somebody learns about my sexual orientation and reacts negatively by saying that being gay is a choice. Thankfully, I have never had the chance to use this question. So it was pretty awesome seeing the video above where this question was thrown back at people who believe that homosexuality is a

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-61014039072735646452014-02-17T02:13:00.000+08:002014-03-10T04:00:29.557+08:00

During the London Summer Olympics (the XXXth ), I blogged about an ESPN article that talked about how much sex is going on among athletes at the Olympics. For this year’s Sochi Winter Olympics, leave it to satirical The Onion to take this tale of Olympic orgy to a whole new level with the following (definitely NSFW) “news clip” (delivered straight-faced) about the sex-friendly facilities of the

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-78487679422856990152014-02-12T07:31:00.000+08:002014-02-12T07:33:10.207+08:00

It’s quite rare that a foreign gay-themed indie film gets to have a regular screening in local cinemas (outside of film festival events). And whenever one appears, I try to catch it because the local gay indie movie industry is such a huge disappointment. Foreign gay films that I’ve managed to see in local cinemas include Boy Culture, Adam & Steve, and Gay Sex in the 70s. Now I’m adding

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-23821234866241134002014-02-11T06:58:00.000+08:002014-02-11T06:58:04.417+08:00

Six years ago today, I published the very first post here on Discreet Manila. So this blog turns 6 years old today. Yay! Looking back at the pageview statistics, it is apparently my article about South Bay City Spa that is the most-viewed, getting more than twice as many views as the next most popular article. It is also the article with the most number of comments. Interesting. Here’s to

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-23839091932540788382014-01-31T13:07:00.001+08:002014-01-31T13:07:51.047+08:00

I first came across the 2009 TV film Prayers for Bobby (IMDB, Wikipedia) in 2012 and resolved to watch it eventually. I finally got to do that late last year. I heartily recommend everybody to see it, especially those who are struggling with feelings of rejection due to their sexual orientation. There are a few uploads of the complete film on YouTube, such as this one. Based on a book with the

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-41505365309746864422014-01-28T05:31:00.002+08:002014-01-28T05:37:35.699+08:00

Last year, I blogged about Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ song “Same Love”, a pro-gay marriage song that has been getting some airtime in local radio stations. Well, the song got nominated for the Song of the Year Award at the recent Grammy Awards, but they lost to Lorde’s “Royals”. Still, the hip hop duo won a total of four Grammys, namely, Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song (both

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-23175866127641114932013-12-31T12:26:00.001+08:002014-01-28T05:32:58.151+08:00

As we celebrate 2013 with a bang, I’d like to look back and see how same-sex marriage has been adopted all over the world during the past year. Back in July, I congratulated England and Wales for allowing same-sex marriage for its citizens starting on March 29, 2014. England and Wales joined Uruguay, New Zealand, and France in recognizing same-sex marriage this year bringing the total number of

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-27246478713020707152013-09-12T02:52:00.002+08:002013-09-12T03:02:25.396+08:00

You should know by now that Wentworth Miller, who played the leading character Michael Scofield in the popular TV series Prison Break, came out of the closet late last month. In a simple letter posted on the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation website, Miller declined an invitation to attend an international film festival in St. Petersburg, Russia as a form of protest against the

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-64912537357204855392013-07-31T07:47:00.002+08:002013-07-31T08:26:36.903+08:00

For your mid-week hump day delight, here’s a hot music video from Steve Grand, “All-American Boy”. If you’ve ever had unrequited feelings for a straight man, especially a strapping all-American dude, then this song and video is for you. The video, which was released early July, has reached nearly 1.8 million hits on YouTube and features Steve pining for his all-American guy friend. While the

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-11656081258151505742013-07-28T16:55:00.001+08:002013-07-28T16:58:07.212+08:00

field report [FEELD re·PORT] noun 1. A testimony of a client regarding the services provided by a male-for-hire or a masseur. abbreviation: FR. example: “Ano FR mo kay Paolo?” etymology: from the English phrase field report, which means a report of an experienced event or of a completed task. If you are one who frequents massage parlors or gay bars, or someone who procures the services of guys

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-4458222004726697142013-07-26T07:12:00.004+08:002013-07-26T07:15:16.542+08:00

After closing its doors and leaving Malate for good last April, BED will now reopen to the public tonight, July 26, at Greenfield District in Mandaluyong. Will you be there? (BED actually had a soft opening last Saturday, but only for invited friends and VIPs.) In case you still don’t know where BED now is, shown below is a handy map provided by BED. Their address is at Unit 5 The Portal,

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-19961471435557933122013-07-19T00:10:00.001+08:002014-01-28T05:32:58.149+08:00

With the Royal Assent given by Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, England and Wales have now joined a growing number of countries, states, and territories where same-sex marriage is legal. This good news comes almost at the heels of developments in the United States where their Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of DOMA for being unconstitutional, paving the way for federal benefits for same-sex

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-62121664012772019852013-07-05T08:30:00.000+08:002014-01-28T05:35:55.680+08:00

I’ve heard of the song “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis back in May when a friend shared a YouTube video on Facebook. I though that it was a pretty great song that was unabashedly pro-LGBT rights. So imagine my surprise when I heard the song playing on a local radio station last night. I guess some higher up decided to add it to the station’s playlist. However, I think that the song’s

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-20193779401899061302013-05-07T03:19:00.000+08:002013-05-07T03:19:07.181+08:00

Back in 2010, I asked you guys, “Would you vote for Ang Ladlad?” I then answered my own question: “I’m voting for Ang Ladlad and so should you.” After I voted for Ang Ladlad, I checked out the results from my precinct and was really surprised and glad that 17 other people voted for the LGBT party-list, which meant that Ang Ladlad won 3.42% of the votes in my precinct. If that result were

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-58053916436243796162013-05-01T17:47:00.002+08:002013-05-01T17:47:35.533+08:00

I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, “I’m different.” If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand. When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-60963253324099554532013-04-29T02:09:00.001+08:002013-05-02T00:25:35.290+08:00

The first time I came to BED was in 2003, during their first year. And I first blogged about BED here 5 years ago, when BED was turning 5. And now BED has reached the 10-year milestone, a rarity in the Malate scene. Throughout all those years, BED has experienced ups and down, from the unfortunate fire that hit it in 2010, to its expansion from a hole-in-the-wall bar to its massive superclub

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-5521885249250796642013-02-06T04:45:00.000+08:002014-01-28T05:32:58.159+08:00

I just saw this great wedding video featuring Clinton and Callum, a gay couple from Australia. (While Australia does not recognize gay marriage (yet), our friends from Down Under do enjoy some form of domestic partnership.) The video certainly brought tears to my eyes and I loved seeing them surrounded by family and friends as they vowed to become “partners for life.” And since the video is on

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-19377282899148787672012-08-15T07:34:00.002+08:002013-05-01T17:49:20.274+08:00

One of the biggest gay-related news that broke out in July was the official coming out of Anderson Cooper. Anderson Cooper is possibly one of CNN’s most well-known anchors and through an email he sent to his friend Andrew Sullivan and which the latter published with Cooper’s permission, he finally confirmed what many people in the industry know: that he is a gay man. And proud of it. Cooper’s

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-31410314052138439092012-08-09T02:32:00.000+08:002012-08-09T02:32:48.737+08:00

The rain and flooding has been pretty crazy the past few days. I do hope that everyone is safe. In the meantime, here’s some comedy (with some funny gay-related jokes) to lighten up the mood.

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-26889487478020731912012-08-07T07:07:00.001+08:002012-08-07T07:09:45.179+08:00

While browsing a microblogging website, I saw that a friend shared the following photo ad: (The friend, who is straight, was asking his network of friends what a “power bottom” was. He knows what “top”, “versa”, and “bottom” meant but didn’t know that there was such a category as a “power bottom”.) Would you dare wear any of the T-shirts above? More importantly, which shirt if ever? Anyway,

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729761197606659027.post-87913152465675872762012-08-04T15:16:00.001+08:002012-08-04T15:18:42.809+08:00

Unless you’re living under a rock, you should be aware by now that the Games of the XXX Olympiad is happening right now in London. Setting aside some of the notable highlights like Mr. Bean playing a part of the famous “Chariots of Fire” soundtrack, or the badminton scandal that led to the expulsion of 8 women athletes from the Games, or the fact that the Philippines has yet to end its 16-year

Vince (Discreet Manila)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00589084423790509279noreply@blogger.com1