Henry Lim
Club Government
The Party Guru

What do you consider as your biggest challenge?  Why so?  How did you face this challenge?

In this industry, my biggest challenge is how to keep Club Government competitive in this very fickle-minded market. With so many different bars and clubs popping up almost daily, we really need to focus on developing loyalty by creating a sense of family with our clients, by upgrading our interiors and our sounds/lighting equipment, by providing our clients with top notch DJs (local and foreign), and by providing world class service and ambiance. 

Would you say that this challenge is reflective of the challenge faced by our community? How do you think should the community face such a challenge?

I think all the gay establishments, and even the straight establishments face the same challenge. We all need to stay on top of our game to remain competitive and to keep our client base coming back. In the long run, the market will benefit because the club scene will be elevated due to the fierce competition.

How has the community changed since your coming out?  Are these changes good or bad?  How so?

I grew up in North American and I came out in North America. I’ve only lived in the Philippines for four years, and since I arrived, the gay community has gone through so many changes. It had its share of ups and downs. I would say that we witnessed the peak of the gay scene in 2003 when we had Circuit Asia, Icon Magazine, and GP Magazine – all of which are no longer in business. Having said that, I can confidently say that we have more gay youths now who are confident to say “I AM GAY” compared to four years ago.  The surge in gay bars/clubs and gay-oriented magazines in the past four years have given the “GAY VISIBLITY” that we need to empower our gay youths.  The fact that MTV had showed the past four White Parties at Club Government in a positive light sends a very powerful message of acceptance to our community.

What saddens you when you look at our community now?  Why so?

The only thing that saddens me is the existence of “crab mentality” in some segments of our community. Some want to make an issue between different gay establishments when there is really NO ISSUE.  They seem to revel in dirty gossips – the sole purpose of which is to bring down an establishment or a certain person.  I’ve also witnessed some people who will hide behind anonymity and create a blog to discredit a person and an establishment based on fabricated facts. I sometimes wonder why some people have so much hate that they need to undergo such extreme measures. I’ve never lived my life this way because I truly believe in karma.

What do you consider as your biggest achievement/s?  Why so?

I never view things as an “achievement.” I pay more attention in the journey. I realize that I have been given this opportunity to provide our community some kind of voice. This has been the most fulfilling part of my job.

What else do you want to achieve?

As long as the community wants me to keep going, I will give them a voice through Club Government. In terms of my personal life, I don’t really put too much weight on material things. I am content as long as I am healthy, have great friends, and have a happy family and love life. So far, I am blessed in every aspect of my life.

Where do you want to see our community headed?

I really hope that the economy of the whole country improves. It’s because when the standard of living goes up, the amount of spending gays will also increase. Consequently, we will have more gay establishments that will cater to them and the big corporations will be more willing to spend for advertising catered to the LGBT community which will benefit gay-oriented magazines.