Splashing out on steambaths, pork parties

01 Dec 2007- Cape Argus, South Africa- The gay sex industry is also thriving, with more and more people hooking up on the Internet.
Glenn de Swardt, manager of health services at the Triangle Project, said there was no shortage of money being spent.
"Let's face it - after food and shelter it's the next biological need."

He said there were niche markets for people after S&M or bondage. There are also monthly "pork" parties held at various bars where patrons hand in their clothes at the door.

De Swardt said there were now only two agencies in Cape Town because of the shift to the Internet. This meant people no longer had to hang out in seedy spots or call for a "takeaway".

 "Nowadays you can log on to the internet anonymously and see what is in the escort's pants before even meeting him."

De Swardt said another popular hangout was Cape Town's men-only steambath, The Hot House Steam Bath in the Waterkant area, which cost between R60 and R80 to get in. It offered video lounges, darkrooms, private cabins and saunas.

A patron told Weekend Argus that the steambath was an absolute "cash cow". He said some people flew down from Johannesburg booked in for the entire weekend. Drugs were very much part of the experience.

De Swardt said a new trend was the number of foreign escorts coming to work in Cape Town, usually at men-only guest houses. One of them was European Escort of the Year for 2006 Paul Stag, who charged R800 an hour. Local rates are closer to R350 an hour.

De Swardt said there were different ranks in the sex industry from street workers, who were often still exploited, to more upmarket Internet sites. "A lot of people take their kinkier requests to sex workers for stuff they wouldn't do with their partners."

He said the commercial sex industry was also closely linked to drugs. "Clients want the boys high because it makes them hornier and also because they are looking for bareback sex (unprotected anal intercourse)".

He said the most popular drug in Cape Town was crystal methamphetamine, popularly known as tik on the Cape Flats. "But no white queen will admit to taking tik - they call it 'crystal'.

"We're also seeing something called 'slamming' where people inject themselves with the drug." Earlier this year national Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi asked the National Assembly's safety and security committee to consider the possibility that prostitution be legalised for the duration of the 2010 World Cup.

He was reported as saying that it did not make sense to arrest all the prostitutes in Green Point, for instance, especially as the number would definitely be increasing as 2010 drew nearer.

But Nicole Fick, of Sweat (the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce), said she believed the current number of sex workers would be sufficient to meet the 2010 demand.

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