VITAL SIGNSrnPOLITICSrnSex, Drugs, andrna Republican Partyrnby Marc MoranornAn all-night homosexual “circuit”rnparty called Cherry Jubilee’s “MainrnEvent” took place in Washington, D.C.,rnon April 13, 1996. The dance party featuredrnpublic nudity, illicit sexual activity,rnand illegal drug use. Among the sponsorsrnof the gay festivities were a GOPrncongressman and a host of corporations.rnA federal building, the Andrew W. MellonrnAuditorium, played host to therndance and was the backdrop for the illegalrnactivity. The sponsors included gayrnRepublican Representative Steve Gundersonrnof Wisconsin, and such titans ofrncorporate America as American Airlines,rnSnapple, Lite Beer, Starbucks Coffee,rnand Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Thern”Main Event” was followed by a “CapitolrnHill Recovery Brunch” in the RayburnrnHouse Office Building. RepresentativernGunderson secured the Rayburn buildingrnfor the “recovery brunch,” and thernnet proceeds of the jubilee weekend werernto be distributed between Whitman-rnWalker Clinic and Food & Friends.rnThe Mellon Auditorium is a federallyrnowned building complete with classicalrnornate columns across the street fromrnthe Museum of American History onrnConstitution Avenue. The “Main Event”rnwas being described by the City Paperrnin Washington as “New York style gayrn’circuit’ party . . . usually drug infested.”rnIt was with this information that Irnproceeded on assignment for the FamilyrnResearch Council into the gay worldrnto investigate the activities that occurredrnin a federal building.rnFirst, “Main Event” tickets were veryrnhard to come by. The event sold out,rnwhich left a scramble for ticket scalpersrnoutside the entrance. Several thousandrnmen attended, most between the ages ofrn25 and 35 years old. Well over 90 percentrnwere white, with only a few blacksrnand Asians present. Many of the menrnwho attended were of obvious affluence.rnLimousines and even a Rolls Royce linedrnConstitution Avenue as the partygoersrnarrived.rnThe clothing was very trendy, withrnskin-tight black jeans and tank tops. Thernbartenders wore bright neon underwear,rnand nothing else. Many of the men arrivedrnwith leather and rubber pants, orrnwearing only neon rubber loin cloths.rnMost of the shirts came off as the menrnheaded for the dance floor.rnBody piercing was ubiquitous—rnthrough nipples, navels, and ears.rnChains and dog collars were also prevalent.rnIn addition, cross-dressing was arncommon sight, as a large number ofrntransvestites and other “transgendered”rnmen attended. Men with wigs and dressesrnin heavy makeup strolled throughrnthe auditorium. Several pairs of lesbiansrnattended as well, parading around in veryrnskimpy clothing.rnThere were no signs of aggressive behavior,rnas most attendees greeted eachrnother with open-mouthed kisses. Nornfights or altercations occurred throughoutrnthe night. The terms “fags” andrn”girls” were frequently used by the menrnto refer to themselves.rnOverall the men were very neat, withrnmeticulous hair and clothing. Therernwere few if any men who could be describedrnas overweight. In fact, the overwhelmingrnmajority had bodies sculptedrnfrom weight lifting. Beer and bottledrnwater were the beverages of choice, whilernapples, bananas, and oranges were inrnplentiful supply. The image of young,rnactive, health-conscious men, drinkingrnbottled water and consuming fruit is arnstudy in contrast. The reckless lifestylerninherent in the gay experience resultsrnin a notably reduced lifespan. The lifernexpectancy of a homosexual male is estimatedrnto be no more than 41 years, withrnor without AIDS. The homosexual credornseems to be “Die young and leave arnpretty corpse.”rnAs the constant thump, thump,rnthump of the techno music heated therncrowd, the dancing became increasinglyrnlewd and suggestive. As the night worernon, the dancers began simulated sexualrngyrations, and the dance floor became arntorrent of intense groping and stroking.rnSome couples danced on tables, mimickingrnanal sex through their clothingrnwhile others pantomimed oral sex. Atrnone point while dancing on a table, onernof the lesbians lifted her bra and exposedrnher breasts. Meanwhile, several inflatedrncondoms were batted about like volleyballs.rnAt about 4:00 A.M., two men proceededrnto engage in illicit sexual behaviorrnin the main auditorium. This actrnoccurred just off the dance floor in fullrnview of the crowd, yet it seemed to fazernno one.rnThe restroom stalls at the MellonrnAuditorium were constantly being occupiedrnby two men at a time. Gropes andrngroans could be heard emanating fromrnthe stalls with double occupancy. Stallrndoors would open and two men wouldrnnonchalantly exit. A battle between securityrnand the partygoers erupted overrnthe restroom lights. Security was thenrnforced to place officers in the restroomsrnto ensure the lights remained on. Thernofficers on duty did not look pleasedrnwith this assignment.rnEvery isolated spot became a dilemmarnfor security. Security officers had tornwatch diligently the outside courtyardrnstairwell in the smoking area. The stepsrnled to a dark alley on the side of thernbuilding where many of the men wererncongregating. The progression of couplesrnheading into the darkness of thernalley eventually forced security to intervene.rnOrange cones were erected tornclose the area off, as a security officer wasrnassigned to stand watch. Public urinationrnwas common: the men relievedrnthemselves outside and even in frontrnof the building facing ConstitutionrnAvenue.rnDespite signs posted everywhere stating,rn”Use or possession of illegal substancesrnstrictly forbidden,” evidence ofrnillegal drug use was present. Snortingrncould be heard throughout the eveningrnin the bathroom stalls. At one point arnstraw fell onto the bathroom floor fromrninside a stall. There were also clandestinernexchanges of money and substancesrnin dark corners of the dance floorrnthroughout the night.rnThis was not the first time that thernMellon Auditorium played host to a gayrnevent. During the “1993 March onrn36/CHRONICLESrnrnrn