Gay raves

The circuit—a loose global network of often weekend-long danceathons, where partygoers almost all gay men convene from around the world to bond spiritually, socially, sexually and musically—is one of the most unique phenomena to emerge from queer communities over the past few decades.

Why is rave culture

Technological advances in sound systems and DJ equipment made it more attractive to open dance spaces. In the rest of the US, queer people remained largely closeted. Money started pouring in, with places like Flamingo and Twelve Westtwo of the most prominent gay male dance spaces, full of gay men dancing all night.

Mickey Weems : It all started after the Stonewall Riots in When the Gay Activist Alliance was formed—the first gay rights group, born only six months after Stonewall—they had dances in an old firehouse in SoHo. Then, inthe Saint opened in the East Village.

It was so crowded and hot, people began taking off their shirts, and the circuit was born. There was a musical arc to the evening. That was the very first circuit. At the same time, Fire Island became the place for people who could afford it.

He decided he would bring the DJs and party themes to his club, Rudely Elegant. Popular Raves and EDM Festivals in the US The US has one of the biggest rave and EDM festival scenes in the world. San Francisco began developing its own clubs and nights, separate from New York.

Gay is a comprehensive list of all of the EDM festivals and other music festivals happening throughout the US. And in New York, thousands of men began gathering at Downtown loft spaces that began cropping up. Since their birth in the 70s, the circuit has grown into an international phenomenon, with parties blossoming throughout Europe, Latin America, and, more recently, the Asian Pacific Rim.

But they may be on the wane domestically, and the future of the circuit is in question, thanks to the decline of LGBTQ community strongholds and the rise of new sorts of dance culture. The circuit was always underground. But they always give attendees a space to shed social expectations, where they can be nobody but themselves.

Apologies if this has been asked before, but do you raves have recs for the best raves to attend as a gay male? Weems spoke to their past, present and potential future, explaining what role the circuit has played in shaping queer and gay culture, and what its evolution says about the same today.

Filter parties by city, date and producer. From classics like EDC Las Vegas to some of the more up and coming EDM festivals, there is a ton to pick from! But they would visit New York and bring what they experienced back home. Back inI questioned whether circuit parties were dying.

Three years before, Paradise Garage opened rave blocks away. I went to Pegasus last weekend (my first official rave) and had sooo much fun, even though the crowd was a little cliquey/stand offish. The ultimate circuit party event calendar.

Best gay/queer raves? Follow our coverage here. Find gay parties and events around the world. There, DJs like Roy Thode, who may have invented the EP by looping a song back and forth until it filled one entire side of an album, were experimenting with new ways to play records.

Hi all! After Stonewall, we were allowed to have our own clubs without police interference.