It was close to midnight at Pegs N Pints pub in Chanakyapuri – New Delhi's diplomatic enclave. Illegal acts were being performed close to the maximum security zone of the Indian Prime Minister's residence.
On normal days, Pegs N Pints is "normal" - strictly straight. But on Tuesday evenings as the clock struck ten, queers start trickling out of their closets. Lying husbands relegate pretty wives to dinner alone. Guilty sons fake extra tuition classes. Bored European diplomats exchange grey-colored blazers for black leather jackets. They all gather together in Pegs N Pints – New Delhi's only discotheque offering "gay nights on all Tuesdays."
Camouflaged as private parties hosted by a certain "Mr. David", these unofficial "gay nights" remain dependent on word-of-mouth publicity. Despite requests, no one from the bar management was willing to be quoted. The secrecy is understandable since gay sex is forbidden under the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and is punishable with imprisonment.
A recent The Times of India report on serial killings in Mumbai casually mentioned cops questioning a man sitting at Chowpatty Beach "if he was a homosexual, the latter confessed and was brought to the police station."
Inside the Den
It was an unkempt place. The wooden counter was scratched, the beer glasses chipped, and the restroom out of order. But nobody cared. No one minded the expensive entry charge of 400 rupees (about $10). This is one of the few watering holes for wealthy gays not willing to risk interrogations by cops in shady parks. Beggars could not be choosers.
As the evening progressed, the crowd started filtering in. The dance floor was downstairs and a boy with a teasing smile was girating to Shakira's Hips don't lie. Roving eyes were coming to rest at him. His smooth chest and gelled hair shone in the blinking strobe light. He shook his shoulders, moved his flat belly, waved his arms and flung his feet. He took leaps, invited others, hugged someone, moved on to the next, never staying at one place for more than a moment.
Article comments
1 - Elsa
What a terrific piece of writing. I enjoyed this very much. Best thing I've read all week.
2 - Katie McNeill
this is a great article. I really enjoyed it.
3 - kan
i dont know why but this article gives me a very bad taste...a feeling as if the author whoever he or she is doesnt realize the plight of people in india with alternative preferences.....its probably just the choice of words......if the author choses to describe a gay party in new delhi, he/she might wanna sound a little less biased against them....
4 - jay
great article! very well written!
5 - Raj
I read your article with mixed emotions. On one hand there was joy in knowing that gay men finally had a public social forum where they can drink, dance and delight just like their straight cousins. The other part was sadness at the incredibly lonely lives of many of these men especially the older ones who are living alone or in false empty marriages.
I wish to point out that there are resources in India such as IndusGay.com that can help many lonely gay men (and lesbians) find someone special to fill their lives and hearts.
thanks
6 - Jo
This just makes me sad. This isn't how things should be -- lying, deception, rundown bars.
Damn it.
7 - Poornimaa
It is very well written but at the same time I find nuggets of offbeat impressions about gay men. The author has certainly done a good job in his article but his attitude towards homosexuality seems to be pretty primitive.
8 - Sakshi
Clearly well written....respect the perception & the emotion, though wisdom calls for a little more compassion .....oxymoronish but thats how we are !!!
9 - shania
call it primitive, orthodox, uncompassionate,or wateva u choose, but my honest opinion is not xactly conducive to homosexuality..for the simple reason that it is against nature..... people may argue that it is something which is beyond ur control, but the fact remains that it is simply a psychological disease. it is simply a pervert means of venting ur sexual frustration n lust. n if one is ggenuinely interestd in settin him/herself 'straigt', he/she shud consult a shrink....it'll help!!
10 - Christopher Rose
Thanks for that report from the Stone Age, Shania.
11 - Chris Baker
Yes didn't know they have internet in caves shania
12 - Nic
shania thanks for proving that ignorance is alive and well
13 - wateva
if this is what happens in bars...i dont think ill ever go there
14 - ankur
to shania's comment. before writing so cofidently u shud get ur facts corrected. before labelling homosexuality a psychological disorder, tk sm advice from a psychologist wt recent literature says abt it. it is nt considered a disorder or disease acording to american psychiatric association. nd u cn read some psychiatry book chapter on homosexuality to understand it better.
15 - sunil
a rather pathetic piece of writing. The writer thinks the gay world is bleak and sad and only full of deception and lies. He obviously went with a pre-conceived notion of 'us-and-them' and came back none the wiser.
16 - Silas Kain
The writer thinks the gay world is bleak and sad and only full of deception and lies.
Actually, the piece could have been written about an NYC gay bar in the pre-Stonewall days. Homosexuality isn't a psychological disorder - cultures and religions which refuse to accept it as a natural occurrence in the species contribute significantly to the conflict. When a gay person grows up in an environment where the/she is despised from the onset the kind of life described above is inevitable.
17 - shady
i'm afraid to go there but i want to :-{