[gay_bombay] gay parties and commerce in mumbai

[ketan]

Pink may be pretty, but Mumbai won't admit it ANIL SADARANGANI TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2004 01:19:13 AM ] Bombay Times finds that city nightspots are cagey about admitting to having a gay clientele Tracking the 'pink rupee' on a night-out can be quite elusive. For the uninitiated, the pink rupee is the term coined for money spent by the gay community, much like the pink pound in London. In a city of over 15 million people, Mumbai's nightclubs maintain that all their clients are straight and people are strictly screened before entry. "Once you allow gays, you may risk losing regular clients," says a partner at a South Mumbai nightclub. Echoing this sentiment are most discos around town. The owner of a suburban disco maintains, "We do get our regular gay clientele, but we don't encourage more." But many gays who party regularly term it a joke. "We go to regular nightclubs and no one stops us." How come? "Well, if you go in groups or with a lady friend, no one's asking if you're gay or straight," says Shiv (32). "In the first place, not all gays are open about their sexuality. Secondly, it's not like they're disrobing each other or behaving badly! It's about having a good time." And they are good spenders too! "Could be anywhere from Rs 1,500 per head to Rs 3,000 a night. That's a decent night out," says Shiv's friend Vicky. But it's a sticky topic for nightspots. While they grudgingly admit that the gay spend has potential, they can't overtly encourage it. "Stags, whether straight or otherwise, are strictly not allowed. But, gay or straight, you have to follow club rules," maintains a South Mumbai nightclub. Rules? "We don't want guys having scenes with other guys. No untoward, vulgar behaviour." Another disco at Colaba insists that they are liberal in terms of entry but don't organise special drag nights or 'king and queen' events. "We have a policy against stags, but we DO NOT discriminate. In fact, many members entertain their guests here, who may be gay." But there are nightspots which have been cashing in on the pink rupee. Like this place in Juhu. "We realised it's good business, so we started hosting gay nights," says the manager. "We don't have drag acts or anything, but our earnings on such nights is better than others -- from Rs 600 per head to Rs 3,000." Yet, the question remains, will regular nightclubs ever encourage the gay spend? "Maybe 15 years on, when they're more readily accepted," says a nightclub owner. (Some names have been changed) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ====================================================================== Gay and abandoned    By: Vishwas Kulkarni    August 31, 2004 A club featuring gay night has one peculiar quality — a desperate nightclub owner. Desperate because the gay night is not evidence of progressivism — it is a sign of dwindling finances. For the owner, it is Sunset Boulevard: with himself as protagonist, disco strobes as light design, and gay men as crooning extras. With stiff competition, Cinderella deadlines, exorbitant taxes, and a hostile police force — heterosexual club culture in Mumbai is treading on thin ice. Which is where gay men come skating in. Priced anywhere between Rs 400  to Rs 500 per head, and with a guaranteed turnout of around 250 to 400 people, a gay night offers financial relief for a passé dance club.  Three years ago, Swig (nee Earthquake pub) hosted gay nights before resorting to becoming a dance bar. Last year Mikanos, the white elephant of Mumbai club life started hosting gay nights. Within months, Mikanos shut down. Sources who wish to be unnamed reveal that lakhs worth of taxes/license fees still remain unpaid. In 2003, Red Light started ‘metrosexual’ Thursdays before firing its management. Sunny Sara of Red Light says, “Despite trying everything, Red Light just wasn’t doing well. The decision to host metrosexual nights must have been a promotional initiative by the earlier team before it was replaced this March.” A current example of the pink jinx is Tres Botas. With an overpriced menu, word was already out that Tres was heading for bust. Soon enough, the gay nights started. The chic décor notwithstanding, gay men felt exploited with its inflated prices and abandoned it.  A few days after, it was reported that the management at Tres Botas had been replaced. Contesting this, Tres Botas representative Vishal Kalra said, “No, the management was not replaced. We got a new marketing team to promote the bar.” But sources that wish to be unnamed claim that Tres, due to lack of patronage, might wrap up by September. May Tres rest in peace. The Pink Paisa “I couldn’t care less about abandoned discotheques. But I do feel sad that much of the pink paisa is not going into gay causes. With anywhere between Rs 1 lakh to 1,60,000 being made on each gay nights, I wish that the money was directed towards more constructive causes. — Gay rights activist Ashok Row Kavi on disco decline and gay nights ============================================================================================================   Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens What's hot? What's not? Where are the LGBT parties being held and when? Click here!! http://calendar.yahoo.com/YYY,04497/srt,0/gaybombaygroup/?v=42&POS= Post:-  [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digest Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] No Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Individual Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact Us:-  [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groups Homepage:-  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay Unsubscribe:-  [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

<<attachment: spacer.gif>>

<<attachment: clipping.gif>>

<<attachment: gay-disco1.jpg>>

<<attachment: gaybar.jpg>>

<<attachment: ashok31820041167.jpg>>