Circuit party
A circuit party is a large dance event. It extends through the night and into the following day, almost always with a number of affiliated events in the days leading up to and following the main event. Proto-circuit parties in the late 1970s, the precursors of what later became circuit parties, were called disco parties. They lasted only one evening and were held in various large venues in metropolitan areas with large gay populations.
Circuit party (disco party)
Circuit parties were first developed in connection with the early tea dances, attended by a subset of gay men, as well as theme parties held on Fire Island, in the days before the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They came to resemble underground rave parties in some respects, but differ in that circuit parties are highly publicized and professionally produced, and tend to attract people from a wider age range and a broader geographic area.
Overview and media perception[edit]
While open to anyone, the parties are generally viewed as social events primarily for physically fit and masculine-identified white gay men.[16] Circuit parties charge admission, with some being run for-profit and others benefiting charities, generally those that benefit the LGBT communities or HIV/health related programs. Circuit parties can be expensive and lavish affairs with elaborate lighting, music, productions, decor, and are held in venues that can accommodate large crowds.[10]
Circuit parties are known to attract a broad range of demographics, from young gay men in their early 20s to those in their 40s, 50s and even 60s, and both single gay men and couples in long-term relationships. The parties are described by attendees as very important social events, analogous to a major holiday for some in the gay community. They can be described as a "celebration" of gay life and gay sexuality, an expression of freedom, and as a statement of the power and strength of the gay community.[17]
Circuit parties are often perceived by outsiders as highly superficial; moreover those who attend them are often the target of broad and negative judgments by others in the gay community, usually because of the high amount of promiscuous sex and drug use that is often perceived to be associated with the events. A small body of empirical research from different research groups does, indeed, point to a high prevalence of drug use among people who attend circuit events during the course of the events and raises questions about an association between drug use and risky sex practices among gay and bisexual men[1][18][19][20][21] Circuit parties frequently host celebrity performers or headliners, usually gay icons.
Men who frequent circuit parties and embody stereotypes affiliated with the typical attendee are often referred to as "circuit queens." The term can be used in a derogatory or humorous manner depending on the context.[22][23][24][25]
