Gay-iendly hotels and bars Siem Reap

Contents:

• THE BEST SIEM REAP GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SIEM REAP
• SIEM REAP CAMBODIA, A SMALL GAY HAVEN
• GAY-IENDLY HOTELS AND BARS SIEM REAP
• GAY SIEM REAP
• GAY SIEM REAP

THE BEST SIEM REAP GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SIEM REAP

By Ancient Rus, a Gay Haven Siem Reap, Cambodia. Homosexual acts are not outlawed Cambodia, as they are a few Southeast Asian untri, but outward displays of affectn and untradnal liftyl are rare. Yet Siem Reap, a small town that gets about a ln tourists a year, gay visors and lols are rvg out a ltle haven.

In the last few years, a small flurry of gay-iendly bars, rtrants and hotels has opened up the cy’s center and beyond, wh wk-wk nam like the Goln Banana and Cockatoo. The scene is bolstered partly by Web s like Cambodia Out (), which started early 2009 and is believed to be the first mercial se the untry voted to the gay muny. Other s like Utopia () and Sticky Rice (), which appeal to gay people throughout Southeast Asia, have also raised the cy’s profile.

But the new spots also reflect a growg acceptance, a untry that still hews to age-old Khmer valu and where the ncept of homosexualy seemed nonexistent until recently. In fact, there is no word for “gay” Khmer. The most monly ed term is kty or ladyboys, based on the misperceptn by many Cambodians that homosexuals and transvt are one and the same.

SIEM REAP CAMBODIA, A SMALL GAY HAVEN

In 2004, after watchg thoands of same-sex upl San Francis sh to the altar, Cambodia’s much-loved Kg Norodom Sihano wrote on his Web se that gays should be allowed to marry bee God loved a “wi range of tast.

“We’ve always been very tolerant about sexual preferenc as some Khmer Royals are/were openly gays/lbians. “When you’re lookg at Buddhist untri, you’re gog to enunter an openns and tolerance, ” said Carole Francis, a spokwoman for the Cambodia field office of Fay Health Internatnal, a public health anizatn volved wh gay-related health issu. “The relig teachgs aren’t beg ed to arrt or persecute people bee they’re gay or lbian.

One of the first gay bars to open was Lga, an airy cktail lounge wh artwork on the walls and large wdows that face the Passage, a btlg and proment street. Lga draws a mostly male crowd that’s both Khmer and Wtern and seems to signal a newfound openns for gay Cambodians.

GAY-IENDLY HOTELS AND BARS SIEM REAP

Perhaps not surprisgly, many of Siem Reap’s most visibly gay bars and hotels are owned by Wterners. While s owner is gay, ters to a broar clientele. On a typil night, a mix of men and women, expatriat and tourists, artists and entreprenrs, and straight and gay people all mgled over lemon-grass-fed vodka nctns and mocha martis topped wh dollops of cholate.

GAY SIEM REAP

That might expla why there are more gay-owned hotels than bars. While Viroth’s do not promote self as a gay hotel per se, the owners Fabien Martial and Kol Viroth do nothg to hi their 10-year relatnship.

But for gay Khmers seekg a home, the place to be is the Goln Banana. Khmer men who vis gay snas often nceal their fac behd motorcycle helmets until they’re safely si. Still, thgs are lookg up for the cy’s younger gay generatn.

On a recent eveng, young staff members om the Goln Banana — which clu both straight and gay men their early 20s — were lghg up at the newly opened Heart Rock Bar, an unpretent dance club across the street om Miss Wong that’s bee a popular spot for gay men. A Buddhist untry, Cambodia is generally pretty tolerant of homosexualy, though there remas heavy prsure on young men and women to follow the tradnal path and settle down, marry and have children.

GAY SIEM REAP

Th, while visors n expect a genuely open-md wele, is still more difficult for gay Cambodians to step out of the closet. This is so even though homosexualy has received the royal seal of approval.