When I visited them, both blogs had a recent post about our (in)famous yet (un)avoidable, our longstanding survivor Acid Nightclub. When you're talking about gay Lebanon, there is no way around Acid indeed.
I thought I'd repost some excerpts from these posts, to illustrate how widely opinions about this place vary in the GiB community. In fact, Acid is at the same time the must-go-to weekend party spot for some, a big no-no for others, with everyone in between including the regulars, the occasionals, and the after-party Acid-goers. As for gay tourists, the ones I went with once really loved it calling it ‘exotic’ for the GiB belly-dancing and ‘incredible’ for being located in the middle-east.
As a GiB who stands somewhere in the middle of this wide spectrum of opinions, by going there every few months over the last ten years, I have seen the place change so drastically over time, that I have come to think that it's the one place that best embodies recent GiB history, and carries its timeline, more than any other place in Lebanon.
... From back when it opened in the 1990’s as a wanna-be-hip straight club, boasting the biggest bar (and Buddha statue) in the country, to when it started turning GiB competing with nearby Orange Mécanique, when it closed down for some time, then re-opened as super-GiB-friendly, through the then-frequent police raids…
... From back when you would see GiBs by the dozens over-doing the effeminate thing wearing make-up and matching handbags, and from there all the way up to the relative carelessness and ‘normality’ of the crowd today… With its see-and-be-seen and don’t-ask-don’t-tell attitudes, its crowd of guys of all ages coming from every region in Lebanon and the nearby countries, with its commercial electronic music and its traditional Arabic set around 2am... Acid has a little bit of everything for everyone (or not) but it definitely remains a major landmark for gay Lebanon.
Now without further ado…
Gary from The G Life speaking of another remarkable dating disaster (We'll both get there Gary, I promise!)
“ I found myself in front of Acid when we had agreed to go elsewhere. Now for those who haven’t been to Acid before… It’s a nightclub that is still stuck in 1999, including the green laser and bad music that goes well with the trashy wall décor; although I doubt the people who frequent Acid take the time to notice such things.”...And Boy Breathing Beirut in his amazing piece “A Night in Acid” (Keep it up GuyMeetsWorld, I'm loving it!)
“ My friend’s friend goes there to have sex with seven strangers in the parking lot. He blew every single one of them.
Bitches go there to practice the new dance moves they saw in the latest Lady Gaga video.
Trannies go there to party and feel comfortable in their own skin, shaking their derrières for the world to see.(Photo of Acid Nightclub by day)
Zuhair goes there to get some pussy. He thinks at least one of those bisexual women would be interested in boning him.
[…]
But you don’t go to Acid to find love.
You don’t go to Acid to build friendships.
You do go to Acid to have a good time, dance, scream, sing, jump around, act crazy, dirty dance with a few friends (or strangers), drink your ass off, run into a High School classmate who you didn’t know was gay, get a couple of numbers, have a one night stand, and of course, gossip at the ‘ugly’ boy next to you cause you know he’s currently dating your ex.”
10x 4 mentionin my piece GiB #2 =)
ReplyDeleteUs gays like to hate on Acid sometimes, but it's a love/hate relationship.
We always say it's the LAST time we go there cause the place could use a lot of work.
But you see us in a matter of weeks running back to the place where you can be who you are freely, act the way you like, and belly dance with whomever you want...without being judged.
nice piece, all-round inclusive but I kinda disagree with Beirut Boy's comment ;)
ReplyDeleteI had been one of the frequenters of Acid in the past, but it's time we break-free from stereotyped places and be free, act the way we like and belly dance with whomever we want WITH or without being judged wherever we are! :)
We exist and we have the right to be wherever we want or like... So have you got the guts to just BE?!!! Not addressed to you in particular Bei-boy. Just a question to ponder for all those reading ;) I know I do it and just very few others too! Hope more people break those shells they put themselves in. Cheers all and keep up the good posts! :)
You have a good point there Anonymous :)
ReplyDeleteGetting out of the comfort zones we put ourselves in is a good thing.
It's hard to break out of those shells, though, cause you're so used to going to the same place in which you feel accepted.
But you're right...That's not the only place we should feel comfortable.
We need to realize we should be accepted anywhere and everywhere.