The Songkran Festival this year saw a most exciting activity: Bangkok playing host to the biggest assembly of gay men in town. No, I'm not talking about the Lady Gaga concert, but the SK6 annual Songkran party put together by gCircuit that was the talk of the town.
Founded in 2007, gCircuit is a world-class organiser of such events. The party is a musical extravaganza that draws more than 3,000 revellers every year, mostly from destinations in Asia, and all corners of the globe.
Last year, gCircuit was nominated for the second year among the top five organisers of such parties around the world for the title of "Best Party on the International Circuit" by the largest US gay magazine online, www.justcircuit.com, and spoken of in the same breath as the Sydney Mardi Gras and Circuit Barcelona, with gCircuit the only representative from Asia to make the list.Moreover,Paul Marin, lighting specialist for gCircuit has also won the "Best Lighting Design" from his creation for Songkran parties two years in a row.
The SK6, spread over three days, had a different theme for each day - Wild, Wow and Wet - in that order. The party kicked off with Wild as its theme on day one, helmed by Malaysia-based DJ Louis T where the highlight was a dazzling fashion show in gCircuit's own version of Victoria's Secret, dubbed the Super Stud Show. Another DJ, Alexander from Los Angeles, ran the proceedings on the dance floor, which was the rooftop of Zen department store.
The next day everybody present the previous night couldn't stop talking about the party and the tasty, upbeat music it dished out.
If you are new to gay vocabulary, bear is a term that refers to gay men endowed with a large physique. This year, gCircuit dedicated one day for the bears to party. Aptly dubbed "Bear, Bath and Beyond", it was an exclusive affair for those with something to show off and those who admire them, staged by the pool of Imperial Queen's Park Hotel. It was the biggest of its kind hosted in the region. Local star DJ Spectrum K from GOD did an admirable job anchoring the pool party embellished with laser lights and expensive special effects, which helped lift the mood of revellers to another level.
The same evening saw Zen play host to arguably the most successful night of the SK6, with tickets to Wow party sold out like hot cakes after the news of the first night spread out, spurred in part by the anticipation of watching New York-based remixer and producer Tony Moran, who has earned a Grammy nomination and boasts a strong fan base in Southeast Asia, in action. He has been off the radar for a while, missing from the global dance scene, but this night he won the hearts of his peers with some amazing performances and remixes specially for the party. Before the night ended Moran proved to his audience he had returned in top form.
The final act of SK6 2012, or Wet party, was played out Fallabella where Singapore-based Thai DJ Preeda warmed up the dance floor for the main DJ, Alex Acosta from Mexico, to takeover and spin the night away. As the theme suggests, rain showers were installed on the main dance floor. It was indeed one-of-a-kind party to celebrate Songkran. The only thing on the last night to bother me was a lack of facilities for those needing to answer nature's call, and I'd suggest the organisers think about deploying mobile restrooms next year.
Said and done, what I admired most about gCircuit and the Songkran bash was that it was not just a party. It was a celebration of gender diversity. Mingling among the gay revellers were hetrosexuals who came for the good music and the fun. More importantly, Bangkok has become a sanctuary for gay men from our neighbouring countries who hardly have a chance to be accepted for what they are in their own lands. But this city and the SK6 party can offer what they have been missing: a place where they can find comfort, friends and freedom.
Share your views and news about issues in queer culture and gender diversity at yanaponm@bangkokpost.co.th/.
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