A request to all tourists - from the locals of Gran Canaria

[Guest]

Dear gentle queers,

If there were a gay version of Bridgerton I imagine these would be the introductory words, so let me start by explaining the reason for my post. 

Starting about now and until end of May, it is high season in Gran Canaria. Tens of thousands of people are coming to this blessed island for four things: Sun, Sand, Sea and Sex. 

People of the Canary have a long-standing tradition of accepting gays and lesbians with no reservations. It goes back centuries to the time when the islands were inhabited by the guanche, the indigenous people who are now mostly extinct. (Sad, but that's a different story for another time.) It continued with a vengeance during Franco's regime. Many gays and lesbians from the mainland Spain came to the Canary islands to find refuge and shelter from the oppression of the then government. Decades went past and the locals were welcoming any new 'different' individuals or couples of good 'fishing buddies'. Within the confines of society norms of that era, being gay was accepted in Canary islands as a matter of fact. Most gay men started to form small communities especially on the island of Gran Canaria. And with time, many of them have become respected, listened to, and cherished members of the villages and the society at large. 

When mass tourism began in the late 60s, Gran Canaria started developing a bit of a reputation of the most liberal island, where gays and lesbians can even walk together, and *gasp, holding hands together. It took a great deal of acceptance to do so in the early 80s and 90s when the whole world was going through the turmoil of aids shockingly frightful years. But Gran Canaria stood resilient, welcoming gay men, no matter what. It was the last place on Earth where being gay in the late 80s and 90s you were still treated with respect. Of course, there were reports of gay bashing and kerfuffle, but they were mainly instigated by the tourists.

And this brings me to the main topic of this post: Respect.

Respect us. Respect the locals. Respect the islands and Respect the Nature. It is yours as much as it is ours. Help us keep up the balance of good fun and respect. Please be considerate to everyone. We all understand that you come here to let go of your daily grind (OK, Grindr stays on 😉 ), but please have fun in a considerate way. Here's how you can help:

- Don't be loud outside entertainment venues. Not everyone is a tourist here and there are thousands of people working in the tourist industry: waiters, cleaners, delivery people, tour organisers, shop keepers. Everyone works shift works, so that the island is ready and welcoming every day for the next group of new tourists. So please be considerate and keep the noise and boom boxes for when you go to the clubs. AirBnB's are accommodation places, not clubs and not party venues. 

- Try to drink responsibly so that you don't vomit and shit yourself. Yes. Every morning we clean up the streets of vomit, piss and shit from the night before. It is disgusting and it doesn't make us gays loved by the cleaning people or the ones who have to get up early and navigate puddles of vomit and piss.

- When walking in large groups on the streets, be respectful and allow others to pass. You know the sidewalks are just that - sidewalks. These are not meant to be communist China parade walkways where you can go 20 abreast. 

- Don't go naked in the stores. Yes, we've seen them all. And while exhibitionism is accepted on parts of the island, going into a store naked is not.

- Don't ask for 'Banana flavoured water with a hint of mint and a dash of strawberry' at the corner store. You will get Vichy Catalan. FFS, this is Spain and it is an island in the middle of the ocean. While we try to get everything for everyone, don't put up an offended face if you can't find what you're looking for. 

- Sex in the dunes. Nothing better than having a gorgeous hunk with a niner fucking your freshly lubed hole under the sun in the dunes and depositing a warm load of cum inside you. Great! But please, clean up after yourselves. Pick up the condoms (if any one here are still so inclined to do as a fetish -BTW, this site is called Breeding Zone, not Condom Zone), pick up your lube packs, don't litter your water bottles, pick up the paper you just wiped your ass with and put it in a plastic bag (take an extra one at the airport on your way down here). Don't leave your spritzer, aperol, red bull or coke cans behind you. (Take that thick-as-a-beer-can-cock home with you though!).

- Don't engage in sex on the main dune paths. There are tons of other people, gay or not, who would rather not see two men fucking on the path to the beach. If you want to put up a show go to the gay nude beach and go wild.  Everyone there will appreciate that they don't have to pay for the OnlyFans when they have the real life show right in front of their eyes.

- Leave a nice tip to the hotel maids. They clean up the cum-laden sheets, your shit stained towels and the lube-soaked pillows where you fucked last night the twink whose name you didn't even bother asking. A 2 euros per day per person will go a long way. (Don't go on an American tipping craze either. You don't need to tip 35% of your room's price for the night. Stay grounded, realistic but nice).

- Easy on drugs and alcohol. The sun here is strong and the effects of the drugs and alcohol are amplified and you don't feel it until you vomit on your back to the hotel.

- Say Thank you and Please in the language that you speak. No Spanish? No problem. Everyone understands Thank you and Please. And put up a smile and be courteous in a restaurant. Being an arrogant, demanding prick is not going to get you anything of quality. Heard of waiters spitting in your salad because you don't want quinoa in your quinoa salad that you just ordered?  Yes, that's true. We do that. Not very often and not to everyone. You have to be that special asshole to deserve it. And you know if you are one of them. As waiters, we have tons of demanding customers and we will go the whole nine yards to accommodate any wishes, no matter how weird we think your request is. As long as you are reasonable and respectful. 

- Learn a few words in Spanish. German, English, French, Italian are widely understood. But a few heartfelt words in Spanish will go a very long way. 

- Tip your bartenders in a sex club. Most of sex club are owner operated. Yes, you are paying 10 euros entrance fee, but that barely covers the costs of electricity, lube, paper towels, rent, cleaning materials, garbage collection taxes and fees, etc. A 2-3 euros at the end of the night will be much appreciated. They are the ones, again, cleaning up your shit, cum, piss and vomit. Again, you don't need to break the bank when tipping, but a small token is appreciated. Just factor in a 2 euro tip each time you go out for a fuck.

At the end of the day, I am sure none of the above is a big deal. But each day I am surprised by how many people, gay or not, ignore common sense behaviour when on holidays. 

With thanks for reading, gentle member of the gay ton, Gran Canaria starts tomorrow with Fetish Week another season of Sun, Sea, Sand, Sex (and Syphilis) LOL 

Have fun everyone! In Gran Canaria - we're open for business. Welcome to the gay Paradise.

[bareback-flipflop]

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. It is an important issue, not for the locals but for all tourists who think the same but always must feel ashamed because of other tourists and tty to demonstrate that he doesn’t belong to them. 
 

Anyway I also understand it from a local’s point of view. Even though my home city is a capital and one of the busiest tourist destinations in Europe, we suffer from the same, here in the inner city. This area is famous because of its so-called ruined pubs. Before covid the unofficial parties were all over the streets all night. After them the neighbourhood was almost literally destroyed. After covid the district municipality had to strictly regulate the alcohol consumption because it would have been a disaster if it would start again. 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, bareback-flipflop said:

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. It is an important issue, not for the locals but for all tourists who think the same but always must feel ashamed because of other tourists and tty to demonstrate that he doesn’t belong to them. 
 

Anyway I also understand it from a local’s point of view. Even though my home city is a capital and one of the busiest tourist destinations in Europe, we suffer from the same, here in the inner city. This area is famous because of its so-called ruined pubs. Before covid the unofficial parties were all over the streets all night. After them the neighbourhood was almost literally destroyed. After covid the district municipality had to strictly regulate the alcohol consumption because it would have been a disaster if it would start again. 

Thank you @bareback-flipflop for adding your personal experience. On one hand is comforting to know that we're not the only ones experiencing the effects of mass tourism, on the other hand is sad to see that the actions of the very few give the rest of us a bad reputation. 

Looking forward to welcoming you @bareback-flipflop and all of my other friends on this site, new and old, on this magical island of sex, kink and legal debauchery 😉 

[bareback-flipflop]

It also can be because after the second time I started to feel like arriving at not a tourist destination but home. Maspalomas is my third home even if I can be there only for few a short time and only once or twice a year. 😍😍😍