Everybody's 'gay' at AIDS Alliance event

"How many straight people in the audience?" asked Glamazonia.

I raised my hand, along with a third or so of the 850 people filling the room.

"Nice try. ... Well, for tonight, you're gay! Now all you newly gay people, I want to see some kissing on the count of three!"

Gay Bingo was definitely going to be something new for me.

Held the second Saturday of the month, January through June, Gay Bingo has grown so popular that players must plan ahead and buy tickets nearly a month in advance. The event has been held all over the city in its 14-year history, but seems to have found a home at South Lake Union Park's old Naval Reserve building. All proceeds from the events benefit the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, which has its headquarters on Capitol Hill.

No doubt resident host Glamazonia, a 7-foot-2-inch drag queen (in heels, of course), helps sell tickets.

Starting the night in a striped shirt, black miniskirt and bright red head scarf -- a nod to the pirate theme -- Glamazonia welcomed the Seafair Pirates as guest hosts. The crew of a dozen well-costumed scalawags sang a quick sea chantey.

"We're pirates," they roared, "and that's the life for me."

Glamazonia told us to stand and to hold our bingo daubers above our heads. We were sworn in as members of the Gay Bingo community, promising not to moan, groan or otherwise complain when another player won.

"I promise to remember to not get tense. I promise to remember it's only a stupid game, and we're here to have fun," Glamazonia (Thom Hubert) said.

We repeated his words and cheered, and the games began.

Gay Bingo players pay $20 for 10 game sheets, which each contain six game cards. If a player gets a bingo, he wins $100, but players also can buy into four special games for a dollar apiece and win prize packages with values of $300 to $1,000.

Glamazonia kept the crowd entertained by working the room and commenting on people's costumes, offering observations about recent events in Seattle and otherwise keeping up a patter of funny bingo chatter.

"I love your costume," Glamazonia said to one decked-out woman. "Are you a pirate wench or do you work at TGI Friday's?"

For a "bingo virgin" -- yes, they sell T-shirts to that effect -- it can be a challenge. The bingo numbers were read by the Seafair Pirates' captain every 30 seconds or so, and I found it hard to keep up on my six-card game sheet. (Some players do 12 games at a time, some even more).

I made it through only a couple of games before I headed over to the food court and bar.

Half of the fun of gay bingo is looking at the costumes. I felt out of place in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. People of both sexes wore pirate-y costumes. "Puffy shirts," ripped silken pants, pirate hats and eye patches were everywhere.

Still, most Gay Bingo players wear jeans and T-shirts, or maybe dress pants and a shirt. And the demographic seems to be split down the middle on the gay/straight and married/single fronts, said J. Cory Curtis, director of marketing for Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

"It's a fun mix of younger people and a few diehards that are 70 to 80 years old," he said. "It's very diverse."

At game's end, Glamazonia thanked us for playing and we filed out, passing several tables covered with Gay Bingo merchandise.

Some stopped to buy a T-shirt or maybe a custom bingo dauber. But almost everyone -- gay, straight, married or single -- stopped at the last table near the exit, which, courtesy of Lifelong AIDS Alliance, held a stack of free condoms.

IF YOU GO

Upcoming themes

March 10: Groovy '70s (sold out)

April 14: Art Appreciation (sold out)

May 12: Come As Your Mother

June 9: Rocky Horror

Need to know

All guests must be at least 21.

Tickets/information: gaybingo@llaa.org or 206-323-0069.

To be added to a waiting list for sold-out events, e-mail gaybingo@llaa.org with your name, phone number, number of guests and which Gay Bingo you'd like to attend.