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Tonite I went to NRG; it is a small bar but I find it has about the same atmosphere as The Turret but on a smaller scale (I like going there) as The staff are friendly, prompt and courteous.
It was not overly busy tonite, which was fine, as I didn't want to be crowded. [[Bear777Canada?]] was the first person I ran into. At some point I introduced myself to Troy (The DJ) it was just a hello and an I am; he said he recognized me (from my picture on Gaycom I would guess). He was more polite than I anticipated, as his sometimes barky, gruff textured talk on the chat channel gives an heir of this tough queen who would hammer your head as soon as look at you. Geckoboi was dancing shirtless on the stage, waving his arm in the air and shaking his booty to the music. As I watched and walked through the room I soon ran into Bill, Steven (Lincoln366) and Tony L. whom I have known for millennia it seems. We talked about this story and other people we knew from way back when at The Turret. A little bit later other people that I met at The Club arrived and it turned into a small reunion of thoughts on how we miss the old days. Barry F. who was a startling figure of a man and still is walked over and we clasped arms in a long embrace; it was embrace that only two people who have had similar experiences could share as friends. All the years faded; I could see that boyish smile and his shining eyes.
As I walked home; I pictured myself standing on the top landing at The Turret, ChrisShepherd slamming the crowd with tight mixes of "Relight MY Fire" and "Knock ON Wood", whipping them again into a shirtless frenzy of sweaty and gyrating bodies. Men and women's hair alike soaked and splashing all over as the music reached fever pitch. Even people standing watching the dance had to have their arms waving and hips palpitating to the volcanic rush of the disco. In the middle of the mass of bodies on the dance floor was Tony L.; I think he had more fun than anyone did on the floor. He could dance and would dance nonstop all night only stopping to have a sip of his beer. Over in the DJ booth, ChrisShepherd would be dancing too as he waited for that spot where those slick mixes of his would bring the place higher off the floor again. I saw myself too (I liked the dance), this young vital me; wet and in heaven with the dance
The Club was a place that gay, lesbian and even straight people came together as one. The women and the men had their differences but we somehow shared together in a small place called The Turret.
It was kareoke night ( it was funny ), I was there with my freind Bill who took me out to a movie and then we walked over to NRG.
Bill and I talked for a while and later in the evening we seperated and talked to other people we each knew. From across the room, I was seeing a handsome guy who seemed to be to be seeing me. Its a strange feeling, because I have not seen that look for a long time. I was trying to find a way to get closer for a better look. And then I saw David and his partner (David now known by initials). David is a not so old friend but someone I had met at The Turret years before. David is a good looking blonde with a sence of humour that sometimes makes you want to hit the person beside you, David's partner, also a hot well toned man; well mannered too. Don't get me wrong at this point, I still wanted to see David and we had great conversation and many moments of laughter, talking about the good old days and the present but My eyes kept wandering over to this man (well dressed and eyes that pierced). I wanted to go over but he seemed busy with other people.
The end of the night came and I climbed the stairs to make my walk home. Halfway up, I felt this presence behind me " it was him ". Calmly crossing the street,all the time knowing he was there...I stopped and turned and smiled and said:"Hi". This was the first time in years that I have even had the nerve to be so bold. We had a short introduction of who we are and as fast as that, it was over. He was on his way and I on mine, for a moment I felt 24 again. It does'nt matter that anything transpired, it was the moment and I would love to thank him for that. Just for a moment I was back at The Turret Club being as forward and open as we used to be; I felt young once again.
What does this little story have to do with the past, nothing at all; except it just shows how things have changed but not changed. Everything and nothing has changed, only the priorities have changed and age.
Codes that were often used in the gay community were not often used in Halifax as far as I remember, but there were those few that used them. The one that I remember the most was the KEY CODE; wearing your set of keys on your belt or belt loops, on the right ( Active (TOP ) ) or the left ( Passive ( BOTTOM )) or ( middle of left ( Actively Passive )) ( or middle of right, middle meaning from the buckle to the side seam of the pants, ( Passively ( Top )) or ( Actively Passive )) to which the latter just meant you were both but had a prefered position. The Key code was not such a silent code in some cases, one person whom I knew well had so many keys on his belt that when he walked around the floor the movement of his hips made you think that you had jumped from summer to winter and Santa's sleigh was on its way.
The HANKY CODE which was much quieter and colorful was so easy to disseminate in the beginning and even then confussion reigned
Black: S & M Dark Blue: Fucking Light Blue: Oral Sex Brown: Scat Grey: Bondage Olive or Khaki: Military Scenes Pink: Toys Red: Fisting White: Wanking Yellow: Golden Showers Purple: Piercings Mustard: Big Cock Green: Hustling Lavender: Drag, Cross Dressing Orange: Anything Anytime (L) or Nothing Now (R) ( or reversed on the east coast ) ( Canada only maybe ) Beige: Rimming Charcoal: Rubber Red and White Stripes: Shaving
Right meant Active or (TOP) and Left meant Passive or (BOTTOM) except on the west coast where it was reversed order in most cases and most of the code above I do not remember being used in the Maritimes. I always assumed that there were only 10 colors used in the beginning but it was such an ambiguous code and changed depending on where you live.
The code got even more confusing to people as time went on and checks and stripes in various colors were added.
Years later after I had moved back to Halifax from Toronto I was invited to a party in the Annopolis Valley. It was a nice outdoor party at a well known valley man's house and there were many people there from all over. I was used to being quiet by myself but mingling through the crowd and having smalltalk here and there but for the most part I noticed that people were avoiding me to the point of extreme. I was wearing a HANKY on this night and finally a guy looked at me and said: " YOU ARE SCARY !! ". Taken a bit back but curious as to why he said this " I asked ". He said that he had not met anyone that was into S&M before. Telling him that I was not into that he asked:" Why the BLACK HANKY ?? ". Laughing loudly , I explained to him that if he looked closely, it is " Black and White Check " and that it means ( Safe Sex ) and we all know now that the right term is ( Safer Sex ) but anyways; we had a good laugh and carried on a talk for a long time. Later we went for a walk, and talked some more and we became friends.