Learning to Accept Free Drinks: GLBT Nightlife Research

So this will begin my two part blog series on GLBT week in Paris. My loving Research manager just so happened to organize my Marais coverage (a neighborhood known for its proudly waving rainbow flags) in coordination with Gay Pride week in Paris. I don't think that was an accident.

After going through Nice and Cannes last summer, I was no stranger to the etiquette and goings on of GLBT bars. I've pretty much seen it all: the pink feather boas, topless bartenders, and rather extreme shower shows. (In case you were wondering, its when one of the bartenders or volunteer partrons strip in a glass enclosure under a running shower—think of all the antics you'd see in a middle school locker room, but with significantly less homophobia.)

I usually assume that I would get into these places with little to no hassle, especially after all the (unfortunate) Justin Bieber comments I get walking up to the door. By far the easiest was a small bar in the 2éme called La Champmesle, a lesbian bar known for its cabaret shows and Josie, the elderly woman who has been a loyal Let's Go fan for almost 30 years. It's such a relief to see any LG stickers on establishments I go into, and oddly enough most are on the windows of GLBT bars and cafes. That pretty much gives me a hint that I won't be paying for drinks in there, a shining beacon of hope that allows me to let down my big tough guy guard when going up to bouncers (that is, if I was ever considered "tough").