Gay Scene

The gay 'scene' describes the commercial side of gay life in Britain. This includes the bars, pubs, clubs, saunas, gyms and sex shops where gay and bisexual men go when they want to meet, have fun, party and find boyfriends and sexual partners. Some men also look for sex outdoors in what are called 'cruising grounds'.

London, Manchester, Brighton and Birmingham all have vibrant and lively gay scenes. The venues are close together in areas known as 'gay villages'.

Sex, drugs, alcohol and the scene

Even though it can be great fun, the scene is not always a friendly, welcoming place. It may not be the best place to make new friends.

Instead the scene is often about sex, alcohol and recreational drugs. That can be a dangerous mix, leading to risky sexual behaviour and problems related to alcohol and drugs.

Drugs and alcohol can make you more likely to do things you wouldn't normally do. That includes having sex in ways that could put you at risk of picking up or passing on HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

HIV and the scene

There's a serious HIV epidemic among gay and bisexual men in Britain. About 1 in 20 gay and bisexual men in England and Wales is HIV positive. In cities like Brighton and London it is around 1 in 7 or 1 in 8. This means that they have HIV and is sometimes referred to as 'living with HIV'. (Someone who doesn't have HIV is referred to as HIV negative.)

Staying safe on the scene

There are things you can do to help yourself stay safe:

  • Try not to go clubbing alone.
  • Try not to leave your drink unattended as there's a chance someone could put drugs in it (it might be 'spiked').
  • You can't tell by looking at someone if they are HIV positive or negative.
  • Don't assume someone who is HIV positive will tell you whether they are HIV negative or positive. There are many reasons why people don't say.
  • If someone is happy to have sex without a condom, it doesn't mean they are free from HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
  • Try to carry condoms and lube with you always.

Find out more

You can find out more about HIV here. You can find out more about drugs and alcohol at: www.tht.org.uk/drugfucked

Sex outside: cruising

It's legal to have sex in public, such as in parks, as long as no-one can see you. It's not legal to have sex in public toilets.

There are many places called cruising grounds - where men meet to have sex with other men. But cruising grounds aren't always safe, as you may be in danger of being robbed ('mugged') and of homophobic attacks from people who want to attack gay men.

Staying safe when cruising

There are things you can do to stay safe when cruising:

  • Check out the cruising site in daylight so you know how to escape if there's trouble.
  • Take a whistle or a personal alarm to scare off troublemakers or to attract help.
  • Don't take any valuables or credit cards, or much money, with you.
  • Try not to not to go cruising if you're drunk or high, as alcohol and drugs will affect the decisions you make about the kind of sex you have
  • Always take condoms and lube with you.

Telephone 999 or 112 to get help from the police if you get into trouble or see anyone else in trouble.

Other social activities The gay scene is not the only place for making new friends. There are social activity clubs and groups, as well as sports clubs, just for gay men.

You can find more information about these at:


www.outforsport.org
www.gmfa.org.uk/theguide
www.queery.org.uk

You can also find out more by contacting gay men's organisations.