It’s official: Gay men hate it if you do this in a darkroom

A viral tweet has highlighted something that most gay men seemingly hate should it occur to them in a darkroom. 

Are we talking about unwanted attention or touching? No, on this occasion, it’s name-calling. 

More precisely, if you visit the venue with a friend and they call out your name because they can’t find you and want to leave. 

How about we take this to the next level?

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“Calling your friend’s name in the darkroom telling him it’s time to go is HILARIOUS,” posted one X user. 

Calling your friend’s name in the darkroom telling him it’s time to go is HILARIOUS— Princess Daddy (@OhWho_OhLu) August 8, 2024

It prompted a flurry of replies, with many saying it might be amusing to others present. Still, it’s mortifying if your name is being called. 

Nah it’s SICK and evil when my friends do this leave me alone!!— zaddy (@boymarcopolo) August 8, 2024

Especially when they in the middle of getting bodied lol— Royal (@Royalty49) August 8, 2024

One time, me and my friend came up with a made up name for these situations. — alona. (@alonafide) August 8, 2024

My friend did this to me once and I DIED! https://t.co/b5LP9UJVL8— Savannah Couture (@savcouture) August 8, 2024

I did this once cuz I was on LSD and I blurted out my friends first name but I thought he might not know I was referring to him cuz my dumb ass was tripping, so I screamed out his entire first and last name thinking I was being helpful. He wanted to KILL me.— Leo Herrera (@herreraimages) August 8, 2024

Gotta have a code phrase for moments like that LOL— B Quacky (@BQuacky) August 8, 2024

Lmao like calling a dog— Coco Nets (@summerallyr) August 8, 2024

why you do thatttt— keenan, no kel (@__iamkeenan) August 8, 2024

Others pointed out that if one friend is driving then they often dictate when it’s time to go. Similarly, a taxi may have arrived to pick people up and folk need to make a sharp exit from whatever they’re doing. 

I am screaming at this, but also, do you want this Uber ride or nah?— CJ (@LdnCairo) August 8, 2024

Twitter has shown me many different elements of the gay world I never knew existed https://t.co/pDWg89k0Ft— Avery G(@Nijerna1) August 8, 2024

True friends will recognize you by silhouette & position https://t.co/A8tNP2MaoC pic.twitter.com/92QwfRwt4m— TENz Magazine (@TenzMagazine) August 8, 2024

Darkroom do’s and don’ts

A quick scan around Reddit and other platforms reveals that besides hearing one’s name being called out by a friend, there are certain other breaches of darkroom or bathhouse etiquette. 

One expects a certain amount of uninvited touching as a means of introduction in such locations. However, no one wants persistent or repeated grabs from people already rebuffed.
“No” means “no”.

A recent Reddit post also illustrated that like bachelorette parties invading gay bars, few appreciate straight women wandering into dark rooms to check out what’s happening. No one likes to be gawped at like a zoo animal. 

Nobody wants to see the glow of a cell phone in a darkroom, either. Most users are wary of someone trying to take photos. Similarly, do not use your phone’s flashlight unless you’ve dropped something you must locate. 

For more tips, our sister site, GayCities, ran a great feature about bathhouse do’s and don’ts. Much of the advice is also applicable to darkrooms.

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