Letter to the Editor — Gay Bar: Pejorative and a misnomer

The recent raid on Naughty Ka restobar resurrects old prejudices and pretensions incipient in a so-called conservative society like Cebu. For public information, Naughty ka is only one of three "gay bars" operating in Metro Cebu and is the latest entrant in the scene.

That Naughty ka is currently facing charges for "offenses against decency and good customs", makes one wonder why the others are not a facing similar complaints. Are the other two presenting shows as pure of entertainment? And while a "gay bar" bears the brunt of public opinion, how about the girlie joints that are far more numerous, widespread, and entrenched? Are the shows there as inoffensive as a Disney cartoon? More importantly, is it not high time that the more illicit activities in spas and massage parlors be zealously investigated? Remember the lack of follow-up on the Roman Spa raid at the Waterfront Hotel not too long ago?

If Cebu has to clean up, then it has to do so democratically, fairly, and consistently. And it also has to remove outdated labels like "gay bars" from public consciousness. A quick check at the so-called "gay bars" reveals that the clientele is composed of more women than men, and more Korean men than Filipino. "Gay bar" then is a misnomer making "male striptease joints" the appropriate term.

"Gay bar" is, in addition, pejorative: It is as if all gays were involved in lewd activities and worthy of public derision. Of course, this is not so! In a drive against the seamy underside of the metropolis, public interest must be upheld with impartial zest, and no minority or subculture should be compromised in the process. Gavin Sanson Bagares
Freelance Journalist
[email protected]