Queeriosity Palace’s last week

Yes the news is true. After more than four years of operation, Queeriosity Palace will be closing its doors on July 1. But just like Epitome they will be having a blast doing so.

For this final week, you can visit the bathhouse without being a member. Just pay the usual entrance fee. Today, Monday, the entrance will be 150 pesos all night. On Wednesday they will have one of their private shows.

And on Saturday, to celebrate the Pride month of June, they will be having their very own White Party. Since they will be open starting at 6pm, you can start your White Party at Q and then head on after midnight to Malate’s own White Party, if you prefer that. Anyway, if you’re wearing white underwear, you can get in for only 180 pesos all night. The party at Q will also guest DJ Stone of O-Bar Malate.

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I find it sad whenever establishments that cater to the PLU community close for good. But hey, the economy is not as good and people are tightening their belts. Hopefully in the future, when times are better and people are more accepting of the LGBT sector, then we can all have lots of good times. For now, let’s all support one another.

The latest on Epitome

Ever since word got out that Epitome would be closing down their Leon Guinto operations, with the hint that they might reopen in a new location, I've been seeing comments and questions here on this blog and elsewhere from lots of guys asking if Epitome has opened again, or asking where the new Epitome was (mistakenly assuming that it had already opened).

Just like these guys, I didn’t have any information about the status of Epitome. Only the guys behind the business would know anything about it and I haven‘t seen anything come out from their side yet.

That changed when one of the managers of Epitome posted the following statement on a forum in PlanetRomeo yesterday:

close na ang E since march 25 2012, kung tatayo man ito is anybody guess becoz...

To make the record straight...

Epitome Club Malate was closed since March 25, 2012 because the property was sold last year November 2011, without the full knowledge of the other 5 partners/owners of Epitome, until we received an abrupt notice (Jan, 2012) to vacate the property,
As for plans of putting up again is under consideration due to only 1 remaining owner who wants to continue the homey concept of E.
I have managed the place for the past 5 years (Sept 2007 to Mar 2012) and I have love and cherish the sacred bond of our guests, friends, talents (divas n mds), staff and some of the owners for being supportive. I guess, all things will come to past.Epitome Club Malate finally closes her chapter in the PLU Community history.

So I hope this would clarify all your queries....

Well, if you want to see some of Epitome regulars, some hangout at O Bar Malate...

Until we meet again....Love Love Love Sam...

So it seems final. Epitome is closed down for good. Some of the people behind it may decide to put up another establishment but those who miss Epitome’s quirkiness are out of luck.

The Pink Lantern

Ever since DC Comics let loose the tidbit that one of their prominent superheroes would come out as gay, speculation has been rife on which DC superhero it was. The most popular target was Batman due to his really close relationship with Robin. Another popular guess was Wonder Woman.

Well, I’ll confess that when I learned of the recent news that this gay superhero is the Green Lantern, I immediately thought, “Ryan Reynolds plays a gay character? Yay!” Unfortunately, it’s not Hal Jordan who’s gay but rather Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern from the 1940s. And it’s not actually the original Alan Scott (who married twice and had children) who is gay, but a rebooted Alan Scott who lives in a (also rebooted) parallel universe called Earth-Two. Confused?

Anyway, what I like about this “coming out” is that Alan Scott did not actually come out in the comics. He’s been out and gay right from the start of the reboot and his being homosexual and having a lover is treated as a non-issue (that’s him smooching his BF in the comic panel above). Artist Nicola Scott says of the new Alan Scott’s persona as directed by writer James Robinson: “He needed to be a big, strapping, handsome man that everyone would instinctively follow and love. Alan strikes me as an incredibly open, honest and warm man, a natural leader and absolutely the right choice to be Guardian of the Earth. His sexuality is incidental.” This Alan Scott is also an international media mogul, being the head of the fictional GBC Productions. (Think Rupert Murdoch, but younger, sexier, and fabulous.)

While this new Green Lantern is not the first gay superhero (in fact, Obsidian, the son of the original Alan Scott, was gay), many pundits say that he is the most prominent superhero to not be straight. The problem is most people already associate Hal Jordan (i.e., Ryan Reynolds) with the Green Lantern monicker, not Alan Scott, and so this new gay character would not be as revolutionary as declaring Superman gay. Time will tell if rebooting Alan Scott to be an alpha-male, confident, young gay man that is clearly meant to be a role model will have a far-reaching effect as Barack Obama’s coming out in support of gay marriage early last month.

But whatever the case, I’ll say kudos to DC Comics!