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News : Issues : 169 : A ‘Larger, Thicker & Uncut’ New Edition of The Bent Guide To Amsterdam
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A ‘Larger, Thicker & Uncut’ New Edition of The Bent Guide To Amsterdam
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|  |  | | by Editors, in Nightlife & Reports , posted 06 October 2005 |
With hundreds of guide books to destinations all across the world there’s not much ground that renowned travel series Lonely Planet hasn’t covered. Yet, in their latest guide to Amsterdam they didn’t bother outlining the diversity of our local gay scene, they simply advised their gay and lesbian readers of a short cut: “Pick up the excellent Bent Guide”.
But using the combined knowledge of the volunteers at Pink Point - the Gay & Lesbian information kiosk at the Homomonument - and written by Darren Reynoldson, The Bent Guide to Gay & Lesbian Amsterdam isn’t like other gay guides. Rather than rattling off a bunch of indecipherable acronyms beside a droll list of venues, it has detailed descriptive stories on “everything that’s not straight in Amsterdam.”
And Reynoldson is one travel writer who makes sure he sharpens his nails well before pulling out his pencils. The Bent Guide is bitchier than Bette Davis on a bad hair day.
Montmartre: Voted Best Gay Bar in Holland 7 times out of the last 8 years it amply demonstrates - like George W’s re-election - why democracy is wasted on white trash.
Hot Spot: More schoolboys here than a Neverland wine tasting event.
De Krokodil: Attracting an older crowd this “croc” is the kind of place where even Paul Hogan would look like chicken.
But Reynoldson’s razor sharp sense of poking fun at all our many fag foibles means we’ll be laughing and nodding along to his distinctly bent point of view.
Furball: This party for the more heavier & hirsute homo was kinda High School Ball meets Care Bear convention. Still, it proved popular with cuddly men who get off watching shaving fetish videos in rewind.
Leon d’Oliveira - Acupuncturist: Truly, the only time you’re likely to leave satisfied after experiencing a little prick.
Argos: This is a serious leather bar where the wearing of dead cattle is as required as the following code of conduct: NO smiling hello - a simple nod of the head is camp enough. NO squealing - unless it's like a stuck pig from 'Deliverance'. And NO excessive waving of one's hands - unless it's to highlight the pale band around your wrist is not a tan line from your watch but an example of the kind of ring Crisco can leave around a tub.
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The most up to date and comprehensive guide to gay and lesbian Amsterdam ever published, it doesn’t just focus on the Muscle Mary or Leather Queen ghettos.
Spotlighting a scene “more mercurial than the change rooms backstage of a Cher concert” it extensively details the underground, the alternative and incredible diversity of Amsterdam’s Queer scene.
With over 350 listings for women (from lipstick lesbians to SM bull dykes), ethnic, twinks, drags, bears, goths, skins, sporty types, transgenders, queer shoppers, fetish folk, diners, dancers and darkroom denizens, there’s “more colours of the rainbow being flagged than Judy Garland would ever want to sing about.”
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Darren Reynoldson
So before you pick up anyone else take Lonely Planet’s advice and pick up the “excellent” Bent Guide.
The all new “larger, thicker & uncut” 2nd edition of The Bent Guide to Gay & Lesbian Amsterdam is now available for 9.95 euros at Pink Point, Intermale, the American Book Center, Vrolijk, Vrouwenindruk and selected outlets. |
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Comments:
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Re: Re: A ?Larger, Thicker & Uncut? New Edition of The Bent Guide To Amsterdam
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by  NWJOCK on 04 november 2005 | Reynoldson fails miserably at providing anything but "fag fluff". His constant attempts to be bitchy and catty is about all you get. No "new news" and in the end after having read the book you decide that Amsterdam has nothing to offer the gay men from around the world who come here because it's Amsterdam.
Just what we need another guide book written by an expat who doesn't like living here. |
A ‘Larger, Thicker & Uncut’ New Edition of The Bent Guide To Amsterdam
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