Gay Bars as a Point of Entry
I'm just going to start by saying that I'm extremely awkward and have no dancing skills whatsoever. Despite that, I googled things like "best lgbt bars in Hong Kong" "gay bars Hong Kong" (and cross-checked different lists!) and forced some of my classmates to come along. Of course I knew that this was not the only space in which queer people operated in Hong Kong, but it seemed like the easiest for a non-Cantonese speaking foreigner to get her foot in the queer door of Hong Kong without disturbing people's space. And indeed, as it seemed, many many foreign men felt the same way:
After getting lost and then guided in the right direction by a gentleman at a 7-11 store, we found where we were going when we saw crowds of men standing on the sidewalk of an otherwise deserted area. We walked into Zoo Bar first, which is cited on CNN as "[open to] visitors of all shapes, sizes and sexual orientation [so they] won’t feel intimidated as the bar has a friendly, open atmosphere". It was super packed and at a quick glance around, I (and many of the bar patrons, apparently) immediately noticed the utter lack of women except for me and some women in my group. We left.
The second one (we had called in advance for the location -- apparently they have a club and a restaurant? -- as it was mentioned on numerous lists) was right across the street. First thing I noticed was that there was really little dancing going on despite the music. People were...talking. It seemed that most of the people there were expats or foreigners. An older white gentleman tried the stripper pole out for a bit.
What I learned: (1) "gay bar" actually means...well, gay men's bar. Meaning men. And not women. (2) I still can’t dance.
In her essay "Tung Lo Wan: Lesbian Haven or Everyday Life?" Denise Tse Shang Tang cites that "gay spaces have always been easier to find since gay consumption has been a primary driving force in gay male culture...[which is] indicative of a more established economic status than women in general" (PAGE). Indeed, one of the reasons I searched for a gay bar in the first place was because it was simply easier to find and I do have a perception that they're generally more socially inclusive of people of all sexual and gender identities. I’m not sure exactly what I expected to find. It was an institution familiar to something I do know and as mentioned before, I could engage in it without having to be “in” with any of the local people.
It’s not a new observation to say that gay bars exist all over the world. My former boss went on a “gay bar hopping” vacation to Turkey with his husband. Two of my friends had their first queer encounters in Parisian bars. While these spaces are “safe” places to let go of inhibitions, as they say, there are new borders drawn.
After getting lost and then guided in the right direction by a gentleman at a 7-11 store, we found where we were going when we saw crowds of men standing on the sidewalk of an otherwise deserted area. We walked into Zoo Bar first, which is cited on CNN as "[open to] visitors of all shapes, sizes and sexual orientation [so they] won’t feel intimidated as the bar has a friendly, open atmosphere". It was super packed and at a quick glance around, I (and many of the bar patrons, apparently) immediately noticed the utter lack of women except for me and some women in my group. We left.
The second one (we had called in advance for the location -- apparently they have a club and a restaurant? -- as it was mentioned on numerous lists) was right across the street. First thing I noticed was that there was really little dancing going on despite the music. People were...talking. It seemed that most of the people there were expats or foreigners. An older white gentleman tried the stripper pole out for a bit.
What I learned: (1) "gay bar" actually means...well, gay men's bar. Meaning men. And not women. (2) I still can’t dance.
In her essay "Tung Lo Wan: Lesbian Haven or Everyday Life?" Denise Tse Shang Tang cites that "gay spaces have always been easier to find since gay consumption has been a primary driving force in gay male culture...[which is] indicative of a more established economic status than women in general" (PAGE). Indeed, one of the reasons I searched for a gay bar in the first place was because it was simply easier to find and I do have a perception that they're generally more socially inclusive of people of all sexual and gender identities. I’m not sure exactly what I expected to find. It was an institution familiar to something I do know and as mentioned before, I could engage in it without having to be “in” with any of the local people.
It’s not a new observation to say that gay bars exist all over the world. My former boss went on a “gay bar hopping” vacation to Turkey with his husband. Two of my friends had their first queer encounters in Parisian bars. While these spaces are “safe” places to let go of inhibitions, as they say, there are new borders drawn.
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