Night out on the Toon
Newcastle upon Tyne is the "regional capital" so unsurprisingly, it has more gay bars and clubs than any other city in the region (it has more of everything else too). Despite its 'regional capital' status, only about 250,000 people live here- under £3m in the whole region. "The Gay Scene" is 10 or so bars and a club that claim to be serving LGBT communities, in reality; they'll welcome almost anyone with cash in their pockets.
Few of the 'Scene' bars in "The Toon" (as Newcastle is locally called) feel entirely safe for LGBT patrons. Public displays of affection between same sex couples is actively prohibited by security staff in some venues "so as not to offend straight customers" -I confess this to be anecdotal, but from several different sources. The most outrageous tale I have heard is of a group of straight "Charvas" taking turns to shag in one of the seating alcoves of the main (Gay) club!
A more important point about LGBT "safety" is that Gay bars and clubs play a big part in many people's coming out: The first trip to a gay bar is an important step for many. If it goes wrong for any reason the damage can take years to rectify. Imagine travelling to 'the Big City" from your rural town where no one knows you might be gay, plucking up the courage to enter a gay bar, and being recognised by people from where you live who have popped in for a free floor show as part of their night out. -Outed for the amusement of Hen and Stag Parties encouraged by staff at the nearby chain hotel to take in the sights "The Gays" offer as part of their night out. Consequently; the city's "gay bars" are at best; "Gay-Friendly" - after a fashion.
Last night I met with a straight, black friend to discuss a creative project proposal at an arty bar in town. It was an exciting meeting, only lightly lubricated by strong lager. Bouyed with enthusiasm at what we'd agreed and the fact that my friend had an unexpected free night as his family were away visiting relatives, he INSISTED we visited several other hostelries- because they were, after all; there! I made no attempt to keep pace with his alchohol intake and was feeling like a megawhimp whining to go home when he dangled a visit to the gay scene before me. I gigled at the thought the effect TWO black men walking into one of our bars would have -epecially when one was a world class contemporary dancer and looked like it, so I took the bait.
I didn't think about which would be the best venue and headed to the one I visited most often. Incidentally: The choices were; Drag, Young+Straight+Noisy Music, Older+Straight+Slightly Quieter Music, or the one I chose. Sadly, in my stupur I chose badly: it was like a mausoleum, the few punters glanced sadly at each other surrupticiously from perches around a tragicly-dated and gloomy interior designed by someone who no doubt believed it to be "Butch" and "Macho" - No doubt the look might have been "in" for a week in 1977, but I can't be certain. It was a mix of a sort of 'Cowboyesque' with 'Hard-hat Construction' -feel with a bit of Camp to... finish it off (in more ways than one). What had been a fun evening fell like a wholemeal pancake. This place was just so... WRONG! Everyone looked like their cat had just died. They were advertising a supposedly sexy men only night with a Sports Kit theme. - The special offer was on Bailey's Irish Cream! LMAO. My friend couldn't understand it. 'I thought Gays invented partying!' he was saying 'this is Friday night man! Time off! have a good time! What goes on downstairs' he asked. I tried to put him off checking out the darkroom, but in the mood he was in, and the amount he had inbibed he felt he couldn't not! He came back almost immediately even less impressed. 'If WE had THAT!' he said! I understood.
I felt depressed when I finally said goodnight to my friend, who was only warming up by the looks of things and heading towards the promise of salsa and I got into a taxi home.
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