To meet people that are accepting of me, that love to be here is. that it's potentially insulting to people, but I just want to make it known that I'm having a beautiful experience. I didn't shave my beard, I have a thing that shows my chest hair.
I feel like, because I didn't do the full immersion. It actually just feels like a really totally natural, normal thing to do, which it should be. Like, you kind of feel like you're hanging out in someone's house where people want to do something different. Page: It feels like the most natural, organic, welcoming, free, awesome space. I mean, the funny part of this is Ian's more comfortable in a dress than I am, which is a good example as to why we're forced to have these stereotypes and ideas attached to us because I'm born with a vagina and he's born with a penis. So, I'm like, "Give me some, like, Fleetwood Mac, flowing silk gowns." So, why don't you walk me through the process of getting ready to hang out here, if I wanted to cross-dress.īut actually, it feels a little bit stiff. Like, does that affect you in any way as a trans person when someone's saying, like, "Oh, this cross-dressing thing's become trendy."ĭo you find that you can be very open about your gender and sexuality in Japan or only in safer places like this? It seems like cross-dressing is another niche or a fun escape from the everyday routine.
Page: According to the manager, about 70% of the patrons of this club identify as straight. like a mainstream way or more of a niche? I like to feel like I'm going somewhere secretive. We've been invited to a secret club down a nondescript lane with no signage. We have one last stop to make for the night. I've never been into a lesbian bar in Tokyo, and I feel like I felt a little shy.
There are way more venues for gay men to explore their sexuality. Just, like, your experience being gay?ĭo you think it's harder for women to be gay in Japan? Gold Finger's owner, Chiga Ogawa, is a pioneering member of the Tokyo lesbian scene.ĭo you think it's harder for women or men, or do you think it's equal, or. Page: We are continuing our gay crawl of Ni-chome. I want to have a penis just to try it, honestly. But you don't know what might happen in the hotel room. Are you saying that you have a special gift for giving blowjobs? The next stop is Cholesterol Bar to meet its world-famous owner. You would say that the area's changing quite a bit?ĭo you sort of wish it was that way? Or are you happy that things have changed and are more open for people? So, when did this area sort of start to become the gay area? Like, how did that happen? So, our first stop is Yo Chan Chi, one of Tokyo's oldest and smallest gay bars, to find out about the origins of this area. There are bars that cater to almost anything you might be into, each one drawing a very particular crowd, and we want to check out as many as we can. Page: Behind these closed doors lives one of the most famous gayborhoods in the world. And, uh, this is my first time here, even though I've been to Tokyo twice, 'cause, in the past, I was too closeted to come to the gay area. It's a gay district of Tokyo, and there are over 300 bars in a five-block radius. Um, the times that I've been here previous, I was severely closeted, so, personally, I'm excited to learn about all these things and excited to share the experience. The thing that runs alongside that, though, is same-sex marriage is not legal, and something far worse than that is that there's no anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people. You know, there's, uh, supposed to be an amazing gay district in Tokyo called Ni-chome, and you also have very mainstream manga that is, uh, very gay.
Page: I'm in Tokyo with my best friend, Ian, to explore the LGBTQ culture of Japan. ♪ I like, I like, I like, I like my "S" ♪