Stay updated with breaking news from ஏதெர்டன் லின். Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Elaine Chung + Getty Even before I ever went inside a gay bar, I was aware of the smell. A mixture of cologne and BO, it’d waft out of the open doors of the cavernous establishment down the street from where I lived, like man cake emanating from a queer bakery. I’d walk through that smell almost every day while still in the closet, holding a steadfast, soldierly resolve to stare straight ahead. Surely if some passerby saw me even casually glance in, they’d figure out I was gay. Not only that, but they d also run and gossip to all my friends and family. The neuroticism of being closeted is like that stress of seeing a cop while you’re stoned, but 24/7, and also, you like gay sex. ....
The smallest gay bar in Leeds: 'don't worry, there's room to dance!' | Theatre theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
‘My larger concern is that as we sequester online, our lack of imagination threatens to foreclose our respect for other people’s realities.’ In the early months of 2021, with the pubs and clubs, not to mention the shops, closed until further notice, Jeremy Atherton Lin and Kevin Brazil came together to talk to reminisce about drag nights and gay clubs, and the community these places nurture. Atherton Lin is the author of Gay Bar, a cultural and personal history of gay bars across London, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Kevin Brazil’s
Kevin Brazil: When lockdown first hit – good lord, it’s almost been a year – I couldn’t bear the thought of going out. Getting through was just about all I could manage. Even in the summer, when there were raves happening up in Hackney Marshes, and a friend told me stories of everyone sitting around a bonfire, passing around a key, I was like: nah, I’m good. ....
Jeremy Atherton Lin James Greig speaks to Jeremy Atherton Lin about his new book Gay Bar, the cyclical nature of nostalgia, the benefits of dark rooms, and the pathologising of sex and drugs March 03, 2021 We’re now almost a year into a situation where bars and clubs are banned, which is either an unfortunate or brilliant time to publish a book about nightlife. On the one hand, reading about all the fun we’re not having is a tempting form of nostalgic escapism. On the other, being immersed in a world that was already endangered – and risks being lost entirely – could well prove a painful experience. With real-life sociality restricted, many of us have retreated ever further into the internet, where the “queer community” (something which, to my mind, does not exist as a coherent entity and least of all online) descends into rancorous and sanctimonious debates, of an intensity which is only really possible when you can’t see the person you’re shouting at. ....
Last modified on Mon 8 Mar 2021 07.10 EST Saturday, 23 May 2015 was an important day in Irish history. It was the day when the votes were counted in the same-sex marriage referendum, with 62% in favour. There was a big celebration in the grounds of Dublin Castle, with politicians on a platform, all miraculously on our side. On Irish television news, the headlines informed the nation that Panti Bliss, a brilliantly articulate campaigner, had arrived at Dublin Castle, as indeed she had. Being gay was all the rage just then. Leo Varadkar, minister for health, soon to be taoiseach, had announced that he was gay, as did a former minister from the other main party, as did a well-known TV news journalist. That day it would not have been surprising had all the bishops of Ireland arrived in their finery to let us know that they, too, wanted to join our club. ....