I used to work at a restaurant that where one side was a deli and the other half was a mostly low key gay bar. I was on of two token straight men in the front of the house. As all restaurant people do, I partied with the rest of the staff often, sometimes at the nearest bar and sometimes at a gay bar. Now that I think about it, I had gone out to gay bars with other restaurant staff well before I had that gig. It wasn't a spectator thing which I think makes it totally different from what the writer is talking about here. I was hanging out with gay people the bartender had seen before and I wasn't declaring my sexuality, just hanging out with friends. Gay bars are easy places for men to hang out. Most everyone is friendly, the music is good and the bar culture is usually fast and consumer oriented. I felt much less comfortable when some southern girls I worked with took me to southern style honky-tonk bar. I stood out like a sore thumb and didn't feel at all like I should be there.