The Phenomenom That Is FAGTAG

Sydney's club and pub scene has been given a right royal shakeup in the last six months, with a new concept in clubbing, sweeping the town... taking over straight venues for an evening or "Fag Tagging" as it is called, is now becoming all the rage - we sat down with Tim, Chief Fag Tagger, and the man behind the idea, and had a chat to see what all the fuss is about.

Fag Tag has been creating a buzz in the Sydney GLBT community ­ what exactly is the concept behind your events?
Fag Tag is a new concept where we gather a big group of gays, lesbians and their friends and we take over a different straight club once a month ­ we Fag Tag it. The whole idea evolved out of boredom with the usual gay clubs ­ same DJs, same music, same people, same venues. I was a bit over it and wanted to do something different, and so Fag Tag was born.

Is there a need to take over a "straight" venue, when there are gay clubs already?
Yes there is. We're not saying that there is anything hugely wrong with gay clubs, it's just that the choices are so limiting. In Sydney there are two gay nightclubs and a handful of gay bars, all located within 200 metres of each other. Yet there are also of amazing "straight" venues that are just waiting to be explored. There's something about comfort and safety in numbers and that's the whole point of Fag Tag.

Do you purely take over a venue to 'scare the straights' or is it about inclusion for everyone irrespective of sexual preference?
It has nothing to do with 'scaring the straights'. Fag Tag is about assimilation of the two scenes ­ gay and straight. I grew up in the straight clubbing world and have lots of straight and gay friends and this is an opportunity for everyone to go out together. The best Fag Tags are the ones where you can't tell if someone is gay or straight at a club and you spend most of the night trying to figure it out!

Do you think that Fag Tag signals a need for members of the GLBT community to mix with the community at large? Do you think the community is over going to gay only clubs?
It's funny how insular the gay scene can be. I know gay guys that will only every go out to gay bars and gay clubs and listen to gay DJs playing typically gay music. And I don't think they realise what they're missing out on! There are so many fantastic DJs out there and great venues that are outside the scene, and we're just trying to break down a little bit of the wall that exists between the two scenes. The huge response to Fag Tag and instant take-up rate has proven that there are a lot of people out there like me and my friends. There are a lot of people who are a bit over going to gay clubs and want an alternative, and Fag Tag is it.

How many events have you done so far, and how many people usually attend?
We've been going for about 6 months so far, and every month more and more people turn up. Out first ever Fag Tag, just a week a half after we sent out the first email, attracted around 200 people and our long weekend party at the Chinese Laundry sold out all 800 tickets.

Has there been any interesting situations where tagging a venue has not worked out as you would have hoped?
It's normally very polarised when I approach a venue ­ either they love and embrace the idea, or they simply do not want to have any part of it. It's difficult to deal with the venues who don't want a part of it as they seem to hear that word "Fag" and immediately get scared ­ "I don't want a couple of hundred fags in my venue!". The best venues understand that adding gays and lesbians to the mix diversifies the crowd and usually makes for a very fun night. One venue that we Fag Tagged recently was very, very straight and it was obvious as soon as you walked one which was the gay corner, but we still had a great night out in a different venue.

Are the venues involved in the Tagging process or do you just turn up?
Yes, the venues are definitely involved. Fag Tag is not political or militaristic or about making people feel uncomfortable. I approach venues weeks in advance and make sure that everyone at the venue, from the doorman to the bar staff, knows what's going on so that the gays and lesbians who attend are safe and comfortable. I also negotiate a reduced entry rate with the venue so that Fag Taggers get in cheaper than everyone else. We also work with the ACON Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project to try to minimise any potential homophobic reactions that could occur when you stir the pot this much.

Does it cost more to go to a Fag Tag event, rather than just going to the venue when it's not "tagged"?
It's actually the opposite! We negotiate with the venue so that every Fag Tagger pays less on the door than anyone else going that night. We do this by sending out a password a couple of days before the Fag Tag to everyone on the mailing list (you can sign up at www.fagtag.com.au) . If you give the password on the door, you get in cheaper. At the Chinese Laundry it normally costs $18 to get in, but with the Fag Tag password it was just $5. At the Bourbon everyone else who entered on the same night had to pay $20 to get in, but if you had the Fag Tag password it was just $15. It's one way of making Fag Tag feel like an underground, exclusive group and it win/win for both the venue, who gets a couple of hundred people in at no extra costs, and for the Fag Taggers, who get in for less than they would normally pay.

What events do you have coming up over the next few months? Where can we find out about Fag Tag events?
The best way to get information is to be on the Fag Tag mailing list. We never share your email address with anyone else and only send out an email every two weeks or so letting you know where we're going to Fag Tag next. We have some very exciting venues and parties coming up, if you're on the list you'll be the first to know! Sign up at www.fagtag.com.au