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Nicho-men Services
Types of linguistic forms
used by bartenders
Introduction
by Christina
Service providers not only play a significant role to create a space for community building; they also play an integral part in maintaining social harmony within the bars/clubs. The maintenance and governing of (in)appropriate behaviours come in mainly two forms: written and unwritten.
Written Rules: Analysis of Code of Conduct
Near Dinosaur Men, a code of conduct was posted, for potential patrons to see what the proper behaviours are inside the venue.
As starred, the code of conduct pictured on the left includes the refusal of straight customers who come with the intention to pick up individuals but cannot respect the LGBTQ community; and as explicitly stated on the right, these rules are enforced due to previous experiences and are not based on racial or gender discrimination.
With the district on the decline, there is more accessibility for heterosexual beings in particular to be present in Ni-chome clubs and bars that accommodate the LGBTQ+ community.
Read more on
Heterosexual Activities in Nichome (Needs of Straight)
to understand why there are more heterosexual presence in the gay district.
To simplify, people use categorisations such as binaries to understand the complexity of this world. With the co-sexuality that prevails within and throughout gay districts including Ni-chome, it is crucial to recognise the binary between heterosexuals versus others that organise sexuality and construct norms (Branton & Compton, 2021). In essence, due to such binary, the code of conduct shown above implicitly perceives that only straight customers are capable of picking up as well as disrespecting the LGBTQ+ community, whereas other sexualities are not. It also indicates the black or whiteness of the binary, as it does not consider the grey zone (e.g., transgender but considered themselves as straight).
Apart from written rules like near Dinosaur Men, there are also unwritten rules of accepted behaviours inside of Ni-chome bars and clubs:
Conclusion
As shown from the scenarios, the unwritten accepted behaviours in Ni-chome intermeshes the notions on sexuality, intimacy, and physicality in the like. These rules are further reinforced by service providers explicitly saying something (e.g., “Just laugh it off” or “Have you had it recently?”) or by instead, doing nothing. By comprehending and internalising these unwritten behaviours, the patron will soon be able to be part of the uchi.
Sections
Ni-cho(men) services