The way that Lin can give a sense of geography both literal and social to a bar is probably the strongest aspect of the book. And some close or morph beyond recognition when the community shifts- either growing younger, older or less inclined towards a certain demographic. The parts giving historical background and nuggets of sociological observation are interesting and would make (two? This guy has vocabulary for days, and carries you with him across the bars of San Fransisco, London, and LA.

I'm surprised to learn that there are public urinal in London to collect discarded semen where men rendezvous in public places to reduce the odor left on the streets or alleyways. At times fascinating, the queer and social history of these bars I particularly enjoyed, I was less absorbed by the author's own story, such as when he notices that the bar he frequents has a policy of not allowing any Black or Trans people in, yet he still goes there, even though he knows there are other more diverse bars such as Catch One (see below). While most people experience adolescence as a time of self-doubt, I, like many gay men, were brimming with a false sense of confidence until they encountered “the community”. An indispensable, intimate and stylish celebration of the institution of the gay bar, from 1990s post-AIDS crisis to today s fluid queer spaces.This positioning — simultaneously within and without — is the pose of the youngster who figures out who he is by trying on who he is not; a classic coming-out story of rejecting all the available models for coming-out stories. That theatrical aura, he convincingly posits, has been reshaped, perhaps neutralized, by cultural shifts in the acceptance of gays, of mixed bars fostered by gentrification, of queer safe spaces where rules of conduct abound sometimes in a stifling manner.

Lin has clearly thought a lot about the idea of himself in these spaces, which is partially the point of a memoir like this, and by extension relates to how all gay people might experience gay bars, but it also ends up reading as remarkably self-involved at moments. While sex positivity is something that is something that has always been attributed to the gay community, it’s important to remember how narrow that community has viewed beauty and attractiveness: White, cisgender, masculine.Lin’s initiation occurs in the snooty bars of West Hollywood, where everyone but him seems to be “auditioning for a toothpaste commercial”. His life, sensibility and values are very different from my own but I appreciate the intelligent and skilful ways he considers how experiences in gay-designated spaces can positively and negatively contribute to our personal and collective sense of gay identity. I enjoy reading books about LGBTQ history and culture, and I was interested in this particular book because I read an excellent article the author wrote for LitHub about gay bars. But there are moments when he reveals some historical facts that are important, such as the impact of AIDS, the police raids, gentrification, and diversity issues.