u/stuckinbk

Two years ago, I did Madrid Pride (had visited the city in December 2023, fell in love with it, and decided to go back for my birthday, only to discover a few weeks prior to my second trip that the city does Pride a week after NYC does it, so yay!). If you've never done MADO (Madrid Orgullo), it's so cool. The parade is along the Gran Via (the main thoroughfare) and is like a European version of NYC Pride.

So I have to ask, who else has done Pride abroad?

Knocked off a bucket list item and marched in the NYC Pride parade (w/Eagle NYC)for the first time today and it was awesome! I'm crazy enough to do it again next year!

Heard a rumor that Splash is making a comeback. Can anyone verify this?

Have been going to Folsom East for almost 20 years and noticed in recent years how it has gotten...well, rather tame. There was a time when they had legit ass-eating contests. Now you barely see folks getting bjs. I guess one can blame straight people for this, but anyone else get that vibe?

Who's attending the upcoming Males Au Naturel meetup at the Center this Wednesday?

Went to the opening of the new Rawhide, and right off the bat, you can tell it's honoring the history of NYC nightlife with mentions of iconic institutions like Limelight, with its 90s -era themes walls (including ACT-UP's famous motto, "Silence=Death") peppered throughout. It also honors Rawhide's past with a rather busy and cruisy back room. But this won't be your daddy's Rawhide either. It's definitely leather-friendly (if the attendance of Excelsior MC members is any indication), but it will not be mandatory to be in leather. The bar is more like a Hush Bar's Chelsea neighbor (makes sense, given that the same people own both bars, as well as Boxers).

DJ Dawson and Mitch Ferrino on the turntables for most of the night. If you've ever attended any of their Good Friday parties (which I absolutelt cannot recommend enough), you know they are serious about their sets, and they didn't disappoint tonight. Among the attendees were the incumbent Mr. Eagle NYC 2026, and RPDR season 9 runner-up (and longtime NYC drag icon) Peppermint. The dancefloor was solidly full for a good two to three hours, though the bar was starting to thin out a tad when I left after midnight.

The space itself is pretty interesting, as it was once the old Paddles (behind FIT) and if one pays attention, you see that they kept elements of that previous life intact, starting with the aformentioned back room.

This bar has a lot of potential. It won't be the old Rawhide, but I think it can make its mark on NYC gay nightlife.

So the SF-based circuit party Grunt is making its Brooklyn debut at C'mon Everybody on the 20th. Has anyone done the event in SF? What were your experiences? How are the guys?

Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.

Didn't realize how much I missed their parties (especially Thursdays). And to the hunky, big-bellied Dutch giant I met last night, welcome to NY.

Ah, June. Pride is upon us. And with it, a chance to learn more about LGBTQ history, and learn about our heroes and heroines.

So who are yours. I'll go first. James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Edward Carpenter, and Roger Casement.

Ah, chest hair. Either we have it ourselves, or we know guys who have (and in abundance). So I have to ask. How much of a turn on is it for you?

Went to TUFF last night, and while the music (Thanks to Boomer Banks and Kim Anh) and darkroom were great, the crowd seemed a tad off. It was a smaller crowd than in recent parties (probably because TUFF was competing with Wrecked--by the way, how is Wrecked?), and the fact that Three Dollar Bill had hosted Unspeakable Joy that afternoon. A lot of familiar faces rolled by with a few newcomers, so that's nice. Nine Bob Note is really coming along. Instead of two boxes for the dancers, there was a small stage in front of the DJ's booth. I arrived there at about 10:30pm, but guys didn't start arriving in any significant numbers until closer to midnight.

One thing that blew me away is the steady increase of black and brown leathermen attending TUFF. Keep it up, guys. This is great for the community, especially with Pride in six weeks.

And then there's the darkroom. it was busy and cruisy for as long as I was there. Definitely played a little bit (and to the handsome short king whose hole I ate in the crystal cage, holler at me.)

Not sure when the next TUFF will be, but I expect a great one, if past experience is any indicator.

Anyone else going to Central Park this afternoon?

I haven't gone on a date since 2009 and I could use some advice. Yes, I have asked some guys out, but always got turned down.

We've heard the stories of gay bars closing left. right, and center (especially in the aftermath of the pandemic), so it's good news when a bar opens. And it looks like Rawhide is coming back.

For those who don't remember, Rawhide was a cruisy hole in the wall in Chelsea (at the corner of 8th and 21st, I believe). Think Eagle with only one floor. The bar closed on Easter 2013 after a massive rent hike (surprise), and then because the new location for the now defunct Blue Store.

So, how are people feeling about this?