Here in London, like many large western cities around the world, we have a very loud and prominent gay population. Beyond being attracted to members of the same sex, there isn't much, it would appear, that connects us. As society at large becomes more comfortable with the presence of gay people, (and we become more comfortable with ourselves) we have diversified.

Gay people in the city, as we always knew, come from every walk of life, with their own tastes, beliefs and attitudes. You can now be out, gay and proud, without feeling the need to conform to what society, and other gay people, tell you should be like. From this realisation springs a new scene. The Alternative scene! But what does this mean? Well, I suppose on a most basic level the Alternative scene is about finding something a little bit different.

When I first came out I was just pleased to learn that there were other gay people out there. And I confess, I bought the cheesy dance CDs, the "2QT2BSTR8" T-shirt and went to the poptastic bars in town. I thought that was what being gay was all about. However, I soon realised, there was an alternative…

One of these alternatives is Red Eye! After a quick beer or three in the Retro Bar, where we pick up free entry flyers, a group of friends and me head over to Ghetto, the venue for the night. This club has become popular on the London gay scene as a place for cheap drinks and attitude-free fun, with various Alternative gay nights throughout the week.

The night is popular with skaterpunks and indie kids, and everyone in between. The DJs play a mix of rock, hip-hop and indie. Within an hour you can expect to hear tunes from Less than Jake, Rancid, Lords of Acid, Felix Da Housecat and Nirvana. As well as Marilyn Manson, NIN, Electric Soft Parade, Fischerspooner, Garbage, Sum 41 and Salt & Pepa, to name but a few…

The venue is a small, dark, low-ceilinged club and it doesn't take too much moshing on the dance floor to work up quite a sweat. But as the drinks are some of the cheapest in London it's not long before everyone is having a great time.

London has a long tradition of offering its gay citizens an alternative to the usual nights one comes to expect from the gay mainstream. The inspiration for Red Eye has sprung from other popular gay Alternatives such as V-club, Popstarz, and Room 2. The music and styles of these nights may have changed since their origins in the early 90s, but the belief in pushing the bounders of gay clubbing has remained the same.

But it's not just about the music. The desire for a gay Alternative, of which Red Eye and these other clubs are a part, has also inspired an online community. www.bentpunk.com offers people an opportunity to discuss what is means to be gay and Alternative. But also, and perhaps more importantly, it is an outlet from which people can come together and find friends with similar tastes and interests.

The Alternative scene, like many things, seems to be defined by the people who claim it… and the people who reject it. Like all labels, however, it can be a dangerous thing. People belong to it; people are excluded from it, and in being like that there is a potential problem for everyone. The Alternative only lives by being different. Different from the mainstream, but also by being different from itself. I hope that the Alternative, and what it means, will remain controversial. For me the Alternative scene is about not settling for the definitions you already have.

So, if you are ever in London, or online, stop by and find out what the fuss is all about. Support the Gay Alternative and help redefine it.

(For more information about the Gay Alternative in London, here are some websites to check out: www.bentpunk.com, www.ghetto-london.co.uk, www.popstarz.org.co.uk)