Isn't it a bit awkward?

[+ SundayZip]

I've been to three forum gatherings, two in DC and this one in Palm Springs. I go to meet others like me who hire men. I don't go to scope out escorts so I feel no need to compete for their attention. When I meet an escort at events, I view him as a member of our unique community, not as a potential hire (although there have been a couple of unexpected, very pleasant exceptions). From what I can see, there is very little discomfort or embarrassment about we we do. It's exactly the opposite. It's more like a celebration of who we are and our common interests. I find it to be really affirming.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I've been to three forum gatherings, two in DC and this one in Palm Springs. I go to meet others like me who hire men. I don't go to scope out escorts so I feel no need to compete for their attention. When I meet an escort at events, I view him as a member of our unique community, not as a potential hire (although there have been a couple of unexpected, very pleasant exceptions). From what I can see, there is very little discomfort or embarrassment about we we do. It's exactly the opposite. It's more like a celebration of who we are and our common interests. I find it to be really affirming.

 

We should start a church and develop, like all religions have, self affirming, assuring, and comforting rituals and liturgies. Of course because of the particular nature of our cult, ours would be kind of orgiastic. And if we are a church, we do not pay taxes.

[+ SundayZip]

We should start a church and develop, like all religions have, self affirming, assuring, and comforting rituals and liturgies. Of course because of the particular nature of our cult, ours would be kind of orgiastic. And if we are a church, we do not pay taxes.

 

Ha! Not a bad idea. I find that a couple hours with the right escort is a lot more affirming and spiritually uplifting than any church service I've ever been to. And I'm not even joking.

[+ jrhoutex]

My attendance at this years PS event celebrates my fourth event. I remember reading about the event for several years before deciding to attend and now I look back and ask why did it take me so long. I was fortunate enough to know someone I trusted to give me encouragement and the details of the event before attending.

 

Agree with @nycman, the first time you do anything there is a bit of awkwardness because of the fear of the unknown. In my experience, everyone is very welcoming. The event is a social event where you get to meet other forum members in a friendly welcoming environment. I am not a particularly outgoing person and each year I meet other interesting forum members who have similar interests.

 

Life is an adventure. Sometimes it is fun to embrace the adventure!

[N13]

In that case, where do you think the awkwardness that concerns you is coming from?

 

I am a private person and also very, very shy. Don't know about exposing myself to others.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I am a private person and also very, very shy. Don't know about exposing myself to others.

 

I also tend to be fairly private. I will assure you that you only expose the parts of yourself that you choose. I found that as the weekend got on and I became for comfortable with the others staying at INNdulge, I shared more about myself than on day one.

[+ Charlie]

A social event like the PS Weekend is not enjoyable for everyone, just as gay bars are not for everyone and bath houses are not for everyone and HRC cocktail parties are not for everyone. In fact, the PS Weekend has morphed into something rather different from the original event as conceived by Lucky, who coerced me into helping organize it. The first one consisted of a Saturday restaurant dinner for nine of the regular posters, none of whom knew all of the other attendees (and a single escort whom someone brought along), followed by group attendance at a play at a local theater, and a party the next day at Lucky's home with a somewhat larger group, not all of them connected to the website. I think everyone was from California. Oliver couldn't attend because he had other social commitments that weekend, but he did pop in quickly just to say hello and meet the others. Each year it has become a larger and more elaborate event, with a widening group of participants, most notably a big contingent of escorts and attendees from all over the world. Oliver and Epigonos have created an event that reflects their own more outgoing personalities.

 

Some people who are most comfortable in a small group of gay men who strongly resemble themselves are not going to want to be part of a large group. The addition of attractive young escorts certainly changes the social dynamic for most older clients. Naked men frolicking in a swimming pool definitely changes the experience for many participants. The rather staid group who showed up for the first event have absented themselves in recent years--in fact, I think I am the only one from that original weekend who attended Oliver's party this year. I think the decision about whether one is comfortable participating in something like the PS Weekend has less to do with sharing the knowledge that the people you meet exchange money for sex and vice versa, than it does with one's comfort level socializing in a large and diverse group of men who have a very relaxed attitude toward sex in general. That being said, at times it is a good idea to challenge one's own comfort level, and see whether it changes.

[+ GregM]

We should start a church and develop, like all religions have, self affirming, assuring, and comforting rituals and liturgies. Of course because of the particular nature of our cult, ours would be kind of orgiastic. And if we are a church, we do not pay taxes.

 

I really like that part about not paying taxes. *Cue the BUT MUH ROADS babies*

 

Hugs,

Greg

[mike carey]

than it does with one's comfort level socializing in a large and diverse group of men who have a very relaxed attitude toward sex in general. That being said, at times it is a good idea to challenge one's own comfort level, and see whether it changes.

It bears remembering that a large social gathering becomes a number of smaller social gatherings at the same location. The first dinner became three tables of people, and even people on the longer tables were effectively in separate groups, none of us was talking to the whole group. At the pool party there were five or six small groups, albeit with changing members, but there was no reason you would need to change groups if you so chose. As to how much of yourself you reveal, apart from the implicit revelation that you have considered the idea of hiring (hey unless you had, you wouldn't have known about the forum or the weekend) and also that you are open to the idea of M2M sex, you can reveal as much or as little of yourself as you wish. And I mean both how much you chose to disrobe in a clothing optional hotel and how much you chose to bare your soul in talking about yourself.

[InterestingGuy]

Can someone fill me in - how many escorts attended the PS event - and moreso, who were they?

 

Also - how many clients were there?

[+ azdr0710]

Can someone fill me in - how many escorts attended the PS event - and moreso, who were they?

 

Also - how many clients were there?

 

this year, there were about 33 total attendees at the Saturday dinner - perhaps 12+ (?) escorts and the rest "clients"......

 

about 40+ at the Sunday pool party.....

 

privacy protocol might forbid naming the attending escorts, though you may be able to figure out many by the posts they made here

[MassageDrew]

As an extrovert I am perfectly fine with group, public setting. I don't really see it as buying sex. Rather, I consider it as an exchange. He and I are both getting what we want so why not. Besides, these forums are a way to share ones experiences without going into too much detail. That's called PM lol

[+ WilliamM]

I am a private person and also very, very shy. Don't know about exposing myself to others.

 

I did attend a social function arranged by another message forum...a Broadway forum. It was very enjoyable. I was glad to meet several people whose comments in the forum I really liked. But, a closer relationship with one specific person turned into a first-class disaster for both of us.

 

I still keep in touch with one other person from that day several years ago.

 

Unless @N13, I am not shy. But I understand his reluctance, which I doubt has anything to do with buying time with men.