Being gay in Trinidad and Tobago

About a week ago, the following brief email arrived in my inbox:

hi there i find it difficult to find gay parties in trinidad am a in the closet guy and will like to have as much gay sexual contacts with men but i cant find anyone i want to be touched and explored by another guy i like adventure

I got the impression that this guy might have felt he was risking a lot by emailing me, so I felt that I should help him if I could. Luckily, a good gay friend of mine comes from Trinidad, so I asked him if he could draft an answer for me. This is what he said:

It can be difficult to find a gay party in Trinidad. But, it does happen nonetheless under a huge cloak of secrecy and last minute planning. This is to ensure the authorities don't have much time to react and either lodge complaints or have the police organize a raid.

Because I have been out of the country for a few years well many things have since changed. In my day I used to network among my circle of gay friends and that is how I found out about the rare secret parties that used to be held in the capital Port of Spain. So, it is a good idea for this writer to start by doing some networking among his gay friends. In a small country as Trinidad, word of mouth can go a long way.

In this age of social networking I've noticed that a good amount of the parties have started to take shape in this medium. Social websites such as Facebook and MySpace would be a good start for this reader. I know for a fact if he does a search for two of the main gay party planners and ask for a friend confirmation he will be on his way to a party fairly soon. I suggest the writer join:

1. Paradise People
2. Poolside Crew
3. Maximum Crew
4. Caribbean Pride

I also recall going to a few drinks at a club in Port of Spain called Sky Bar located on Ariapita Avenue. From my last visit and backing up with a Google search, the club is still running. My advise is to proceed with some caution as certain days/nights are designated gay. It is simply not profitable or wise to run a club in Trinidad as strictly gay!

The writer sounds inexperienced so a good dose of social networking should find him in a few gay groups/circles in Trinidad where he can start making friends and going out to parties. I know from experience that if he plays his cards right he can find exactly what he's looking for at the parties - just remember to play safe!

If any other readers are from that part of the world, it would be good to get your views too.