The Gay Bar Scene in Cebu is very much alive. Well, I am not just sure whether it is "Gay", given majority of customers are women. Let's say the Macho Dancer scene in Cebu is very much alive =).
5-6 years ago, there were but 2-3 gay bars here. It must be a lucrative business given now we have ~7. Raids are getting less and less in the past years, which contributed to its proliferation here. One raid could have far-fetching impact not only the bar raided but on the others as well.
Really got inspired by comments on
http://www.discreetmagazine.blogspot.com/, so I dediced to also share stories so we all learn from each other's experiences. I had been in the scene for a long time in Cebu. Have seen ups and downs. Have reached the highest highs but also the lowest lowest in the gay bars, and in the company of Cebu Macho Dancers.
Here are some top of mind items I wanted to share
1) For first timers in Cebu gay bars, do not be surprised to see mostly women here. One weeknight, there were 99% women and it is becoming very common. In fact, some gay bars would not allow unaccompanied men inside the bar. If you are gay and alone, sorry you cannot enter the bar. Ironic, isn't it?A gay man cannot enter a gay bar alone. This is Tarzan Boy so I was told.
There is no way a gay bar's name will be changed to girl's bar though even if very few gays go. For sure you know why. ; ).
2) Yes Koreans abound here. But they are everywhere anyway. If they have their own salon, own church, own supermarket, own internet cafe. It should actually be not a surprise to see lots of them here. My guess is that majority of them are tourists, here in Cebu for a week or 2. But I also saw regulars, so they must live here already.
They have lots of cash. The record I personally saw was 25,000. Yes, a Korean lady (probably early 50's) placing 25 pieces of 1,000 bills in Navigator's superstar undies. This was 3-4 years ago. So don't be surprised to see them give a thousand or 5k to a guy they fancy.
3) The Macho Dancers are after money. Come on, if they are after love or company they would go somewhere else. So let us be realistic. I asked a MD who is the 3rd star, if he aspires to be the SUPERSTAR. He said, only because that would bring more money. So no, majority of them do not see this as a career where they get promoted. This is temporary. The only common thing, is that they want to get promoted so they get extra exposure and thus potentially more money.
4) Who are the superstars in each Bar?
Well, considering the lifespan of their "careers" in each bar, difficult to tell. Remember, that this work is fleeting and most especially for the star dancers. Sometimes the superstar does not even last 3 months in a bar. They are the priority to be booked full-time. One time, I remember the superstar of Navi who was from Manila got booked in 2 weeks. So he was gone, before he could serve us customers ; (.
But yes there were Raymond and Kent from Cheetah, and starlets Raven and Jolo also from Cheetah. Jaspher from NK, starlet Christian. Bruce from Navigator. PG from Tarzan Boy. Some of them are still there or could just be in another bar.
5) Why the anonymity, code names and name changes from the dancers?
The code names are quite obvious, to protect their privacy. So Gilson would be Kent, and Jerson would be Iver. The name changes, I initially did not understand. Unless you are the superstar MD, they should be sticking to their names.
Also, majority of the gay bars protect the identity of their dancers. Shouldn't they be promoting them? this is a popularity contest, also right?
This makes the marketing strategy for Naughty Ka Bar really interesting. Instead of hiding their dancers, like the other bars, Naughty Ka has its own Friendster account and a YouTube channel that introduces their dancers. So everyone knows who they have. Will other bars follow suit? What would be the impact of this to the families of the dancers? Having their faces and videos splattered across the web for years to come? I guess this is the marketing dilemma of gay bars.
But we have to remember that the private lives of macho dancers may include prior criminal charges, marital status or even kids. So this is probably why privacy and secrecy is tightly upheld. I know of several MDs who already have kids, one of them with 3 non-school age yet. So this could be damaging for their jobs.
6) All About the Money
The money from the bars are OK but not that significant come to think of it. Let's break them down
- A dance number at a bar cost 300 for our MD. Max, they have 2 a night which brings it to 600.
- Superstars do not "Area". For the common MD, it could be 500 on a lucky night maybe 200 on a regular day.
- From the macho drinks, MDs get 60 pesos. Which explains why they try to down their drink that quickly. One of my favorite MDs down 22 in one night! and only while we were together. He may have drank more in other tables. On the average, say 10 drinks a night x 60 = 600.
- So not even a 1,000 a night for the average MD.
On a bad rainy night and without customers, of course practically nothing.
So it will be the tips, the takehome and the sponsors that would spell the difference.
7. Gay/Girlfriends and Sponsors
One of the ultimate goals of macho dancers is to get a sponsor. Someone who would give them cashflow albeit in return for an exclusive relationship. Admittedly, this is where the big money comes from.
One of my favorite MDs who became a friend told me about a very rich Korean lady he is servicing (his term, not mine!). According to him, the lady was very rich sometimes gambling 1M pesos a night. So to no surprise, he was easily given 100,000pesos as a welcome gift. When it was gone after a few days, he was given a Motorbike, and then another 100,000 pesos. Then as a goodbye gift, how about a brand new car!
There are MD-sponsor relationship that last a long time. One couple I know have been together for over 5 years (I know not that long yet, but in these circles that is already ancient). Their age gap is ~13-14 years, again very small compared to many in these circle. She a highly influential member of the Cebu economy and him a former superstar MD. There are complications in their relationship even if the lady is separated. This includes kids, wanting to have kids, and business slowdown.
7. Each MD has their own style. And they change it depending on the customers. One day I was surprised that my fave MD already has his own Big Bike. So I asked. Apparently, this was a gift from a Swiss Lady. Some 50+ French speaking grandma. Interestingly, they did not even have intimate contact. Well according to MD.
How'd he do it, I asked. He said - strategy. The elderly women most of them do not really want that. They wanted to feel special and that's what he gave. Amazing!
So if they can get a big bike from a lady, I just thought about what else can they get from gay customers? or maybe the younger inexperienced women (who by the way the population is starting to increase in bars)
