By Via a reader tip comes this Stars & Stripes article about a part of Itaewon night life that is hardly a secret to anyone stationed at Yongsan:
It’s a Saturday night, and cheers erupt from the all-male crowd as a slender South Korean man wearing a sparkling silver dress and matching headpiece walks through the door of a standing room-only bar.
The din grows louder when the bartender passes out free shots and playfully shouts, “Drink up, bitches!”
Outside, it feels more like a street festival than a bar district, as customers — both South Koreans and foreigners, but mostly young, male and gay — mingle with drinks in hand, flirting and occasionally kissing on the narrow road known locally among gays and straights alike as “Homo Hill.”
Among them are U.S. soldiers, who on recent visits by a reporter to the area made up a noticeable number of the Hill’s clientele despite the threat they face of being discharged from the military for having homosexual relationships.
This cluster of trendy bars, with names like “Queen” and “Always Homme,” is a 10-minute walk from Yongsan Garrison, the U.S. military’s flagship base in South Korea. The Hill is one of the few places gay and lesbian U.S. servicemembers can be somewhat open about their sexuality while stationed in the country. [Stars & Stripes]
Read the rest at the link, but as a commenter pointed out, isn’t ironic that a straight soldier will get brought up on charges for walking up Hooker Hill, but it is perfectly fine for gay soldiers to hangout on Homo Hill?
4:29 am on March 14th, 2010 1
I thought there was a reason I don't want to go anywhere near Itaewon.
6:20 am on March 14th, 2010 2
"isn’t ironic that a straight soldier will get brought up on charges for walking up Hooker Hill, but it is perfectly fine for gay soldiers to hangout on Homo Hill?"
I didn't know all of Hooker Hill was off limits. I thought it was just specific bars.
Are any of the bars on Homo Hill off limits?
7:45 am on March 14th, 2010 3
ANYTHING you say that can be interpreted by ANYONE
7:50 am on March 14th, 2010 4
that has even the most remote chance of thinking a negative connotation could be associated with what you have just said will warrant someone complaining. We are all brainwashed by an extremely small minority of HOMOSEXUALS. I don't care about homosexuals anymore than I do some rag head sitting in the middle of the desert with his 8 year old wife. All you homo lovers out there are in the same boat. That is the boat which has homosexuals, pedophiles, rapist and thieves (there all the same to me).
8:03 am on March 14th, 2010 5
"I don’t care about homosexuals anymore than I do some rag head sitting in the middle of the desert with his 8 year old wife."
I do care about that 8 year old wife because I don't believe she was able to consent.
"All you homo lovers out there are in the same boat."
Do you see everything in such stark contrasts? Is everyone who is not a 'home hater' then a 'homo lover?'
8:04 am on March 14th, 2010 6
Almost every bar on Hooker Hill is off limits. There is a map and a list on the USFK page. On the other hand I know of no "Gay Bars" off limits on "Homo Hill" – I may be wrong, any homo's care to clarify?
I find this fact extremely ironic.
Oh, and DRINK UP BITCHES!!!
8:05 am on March 14th, 2010 7
‘home hater’ -> ‘homo hater’
8:12 am on March 14th, 2010 8
I believe the criteria for off-limits is prostitution, human trafficking, illegal drug activity, alcohol to minors, ripping off GI, and various other illegal activities.
I think if you can make a case before the discipline control board for something occurring in a Homo Hill bar that you think warrants it being placed off limits, it could happen.
8:19 am on March 14th, 2010 9
Leon,
What would you put them off limits for? Not prostitution, not human trafficing, not drug use. I think that covers the reasons that the bars on Hooker Hill are off limits…?
8:31 am on March 14th, 2010 10
The UCMJ hasn't been changed yet. Homosexual activity is still prohibited & punishable. Personally I think whatever two grown adults do to or with each other in private is none of the military's business. However, they seem to punish hetro's disproportionately. The commander also has great leeway an extreme latitude on declaring businesses off limits. He could do so in this case under the guise of good order and discipline.
DRINK UP BITCHES!!!
8:50 am on March 14th, 2010 11
The UCMJ article is not exclusively against homosexual activity. It s against sodomy.
Article 125: Sodomy
Emphasis mine.
I agree that if any such activity occurs in a public establishment, it could be grounds for it being placed off-limits, and according to local zoning laws, could also be illegal.
10:49 am on March 14th, 2010 12
JOEC, that is what I'm referring to. Obviously it is difficult to consummate a gay relationship without a bit of sodomy.
The following areas and establishments within the ROK are off-limits:
* A-1. All acupuncture clinic, civilian medical and dental clinics, pharmacies, drug stores, and civilian hospitals except for the purpose of receiving treatment or prescriptions when referred by U.S. medical treatment facilities, receiving emergency treatment, or visits to patients.
* A-2. All civilian tattoo parlors, body piercing shops and barber shops.
* A-5. Streams, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ocean beach areas or other natural bodies of water for activities such as wading, swimming, bathing, diving, boating, skin/scuba diving or ice skating are off limits unless specifically approved for use by the area or installation commander. These areas may be used for fishing, sunbathing, or other activities in which contact with the water is minimal. As an exception to these restrictions, personnel participating in-group tours sponsored by various organizations within the ROK may participate fully in tour activities.
Reasons include:
# (P/HT) = Prostitution/Human Trafficking
# (FP) = Force Protection
# (D) = Controlled Substances
# (H/S) = Health/Safety – could apply here
# (UAG) = Underage Drinking
But gay bars are cool!
DRINK UP BITCHES!!!
(I still can't believe S&S printed that. It's amusing but I'm waiting for the flood of letters to the editor.)
10:58 am on March 14th, 2010 13
Yeah, Hooker Hill and Homo Hill are apples and oranges (bananas and peaches?). It is only certain bars on Hooker Hill that are off limits, and none of the bars on Homo Hill have been so designated.
And I'm just going to say that patronizing a Homo Hill bar does not mean one is gay. I had a girlfriend that liked girls and on occasion she insisted I take her there so she could dance while I watched. Hey, that worked for me. I'm pretty sure I don't exude any gay vibes (or maybe I'm just ugly) but no one ever did anything to make me uncomfortable during my visits. From my observations there would be no reason whatsover to put these bars off limits or to discipline a soldier solely for being a patron.
You know, come to think of it, I never once saw CP or MP presence on Homo Hill….
12:06 pm on March 14th, 2010 14
DRINK UP BITCHES!!!
(I still can’t believe S&S printed that. It’s amusing but I’m waiting for the flood of letters to the editor.)
I was thinking the same thing. I mean, schoolkids are sometimes required to read the paper for class, aren't they?
1:14 pm on March 14th, 2010 15
GI,
I know you're going crazy for all this "special treatment" that homosexuals are allegedly getting, but how are prostitutes on Hooker Hill related to gay bars on Homo Hill? US servicemen banging whores is a whole different world than US servicemen banging each other.
2:25 pm on March 14th, 2010 16
As usual, the REAL story is missed.
Has anyone noticed how Stars & Stripes in Korea has constantly ignored the juicy bars?
I'm not talking about prostitution… which could excusably be ignored as one of those social necessities that polite society engages in but never speaks about.
But for the last decade, S&S has not brought any attention to the true problems… rip-offs, scams, human trafficking, broken marriages, financial mismanagement, legal problems, a large number of expensively-trained servicemembers kicked out over juicy-related events… etc.
And no attention has been brought to the club owners, Good Neighbors and Local Business Association Leaders who play golf and have dinners with military leadership while openly perpetuating these crimes. In fact the local scumbags are often written about in glowing terms by S&S every time some new promotional event happens or neighborly program is started… that, of course, eventually results in more money being transferred from the military to Downtown.
And anytime Downtown trouble becomes news that can't be ignored, S&S grudgingly writes about it in "factual" but very bland, attention-deflecting ways that completely dilute the fundamental truth that club owners are getting rich by scamming low-ranking military… and high-ranking military is actively in on it despite its bad financial, social and readiness affects on servicemembers and the military.
And none of this takes any real journalism skills to find out… anyone interested knows half of it by his first payday weekend in-country.
However, in one week, Stars & Stripes has had TWO homosexual-related articles designed to promote action rather than inaction.
While the article on homosexual teachers was legitimate news, it was cleverly written to promote indignation (examples can be provided).
The article on Homo Hill is even more interesting. It is not "news"… in the same way decades of prostitution is not news. Nor is its existence a problem in the ways that crime and corruption in the Villes are a problem.
Yet S&S ran a story on it… an unnecessary story… and one that can only be seen as a direct challenge to USFK leadership to DO something. It contained every element necessary to force action by leadership.
Which is kind of ironic because in the history of the American military, this is the most dangerous time possible for a leader to appear anti-gay… future promotions could be riding on past tolerance and inclusiveness.
This is very interesting because NOTHING in this detail has ever been written about juicy-related divorce, crimes to support juicy habits, pay-off-the-contract scams, juicies locked up when they aren't at work… etc… you know, things that actually help USFK and its servicemembers by bringing attention to them.
Hmmmm.
The gay bar owners need to take up golf, have nice dinners with USFK leadership, prepare little white envelopes and arrange shopping trips for officers' wives…
…tell me a gay bar owner doesn't just know the most absolutely fabulous places for shopping.
Then Stars & Stripes can go back to reporting on the overwhelming positive response to Saturday Morning Don't Raape the Drunk Girl Training.
6:49 pm on March 14th, 2010 17
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. I think all the guys with bass boats and inflatable boats missed that one
And ocean beach areas? Really?
7:21 pm on March 14th, 2010 18
Caribbean Bay, anyone?
8:02 pm on March 14th, 2010 19
Read the article. Straight soldiers have to obey every single reg or face max punishment while homosexual soldiers are allowed to do whatever they choose. Is that fair? Is that the right thing to do?
We all know there are gay men and women already in the military. This is proof that the military brass in Korea rarely enforces the current UCMJ regs against homosexual behavior. Then why the big push by the White House to rewrite the regs and allow homosexuals carte blanche while in uniform? It's all about external pressure by well-funded political action groups who helped fund the current President's election campaign.
What's right for the men and women in uniform means little to the current President.
8:44 pm on March 14th, 2010 20
In the past year, I've had to learn what 'tea-bagging' means and this weekend, following the Eric Massa circus, I've discovered what it means to 'snorkel' someone.
These are things your kids would learn if the just tried to follow politics in the news.
Reading 'drink up bitches' would probably seem quaint and passe to them. In fact, after reading about the wild security contractor stag parties in Afghanistan, they might ask, "Does that mean drinking from butt-crack?"
9:14 pm on March 14th, 2010 21
Yep … although as a soldier my GF and I broke those rules almost every night / day ….
1:45 am on March 15th, 2010 22
Gosh, what a difference 30 years makes. Does anybody remember "The Flower Shop" brothel on hooker hill? As efficient an operation as Jiffy Lube. Or "The Brown Door" at the top of the hill?
How strange this all is.
2:47 am on March 15th, 2010 23
"Straight soldiers have to obey every single reg or face max punishment while homosexual soldiers are allowed to do whatever they choose. Is that fair? Is that the right thing to do?"
Two women holding hands — no one bats an eye.
Two guys holding hands — Hey! What's going on their?
Two women kissing — Hey guys, look! More! MORE!!
Two guys kissing — Ahhgg! Queer action! Call the cops!!
The military also has a regulation against Adultery — Article 134. I've been hanging out in military bars for a long time. I have never seen town patrol or anyone else go out of their way to bust on a couple engaged in public displays of affection (PDA) where one or both were known to be married to another person. The only time that used to happen is only after there had been a complaint by one of their spouses or partners, or it turns up as part of an investigation into another offense.
I don't think anyone has ever suggested a bar be placed off-limits because there were indications that adulterous activity were allowed to occurred there.
But, if there was raw-dog sex happening on the premises of a bar, the town patrol walks in, or pictures show up on the Internet or from sex-ting, then those involved should be charged and the bar placed off limits, whether it was homosexual OR heterosexual.
"What’s right for the men and women in uniform means little to the current President."
Maybe what's right for the men and women in uniform is they not belong to the only institution left in the U.S. government allowed to discriminate against this group.
12:19 am on March 16th, 2010 24
Yes, and those bars are selling is alcohol. I mean, if you were to make does bars off limits because of what happens after the patrons leave, you'd probably have to make the gyms and coffee shops off limits, too.
12:32 am on March 16th, 2010 25
"In the past year, I’ve had to learn what ‘tea-bagging’ means…"
I'm no fan of sexual fetishes, but that term has been in the mainstream for well over a decade.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126604/
12:59 am on March 16th, 2010 26
… just not in any mainstreams that I've been hanging around.
3:33 am on March 16th, 2010 27
I'm with JoeC on that. I don't put it as a "mainstream" term before 2005 or 2006.
Teadrinker, I guess we live very different lives.
Holy epiphanies, Batman! Is that where "Teadrinker" comes from?!