The SSO A-Z guide to queer Sydney

D is for:

David Jones Whoever thought up the advertising jingle there’s no other store like David Jones may well have known of the special bond between the department store and the gay community. For more than a few of us, there really is no other retailer like DJ’s -“ and not just because of the shopping.

Retail has long attracted a legion of impeccably groomed, briskly efficient gay male employees, and David Jones is certainly no exception. Adding to the appeal are the women of a certain age who call DJ’s home, at least during working hours. These retail queens can be spotted both in front and behind the counter, exuding elegance and camp in equal measure.

Aspirational gays also adore DJ’s for its high-class fashions. Couture addicts can get a regular hit on the seventh floor of the Elizabeth Street store, while less ambitious fashionistas head for the lower levels or scour the hotly contested sales.

The David Jones food halls are also a favourite meeting point for gay men, lesbians and their friends. The noodle bar in the Market Street store on weekends is said to be the perfect place to spot loved-up same-sex couples savouring the inimitable DJ’s style.

Donor dads It may seem strange to the men who fought so hard for the rights of gay men to be free and fuck with abandon, but in 2007 happy dads are the hottest dudes in town. Which makes sense, as nothing says he’s hot like living proof of a bloke’s great genetic material.

And nothing turns Oxford Street heads faster than a man with a pram. Luckily, gay men -“ in the right circumstances -“ can have the best of both worlds when it comes to parenting. They have a kid to take to swimming lessons and love unconditionally, without the sleepless nights and endless baby vomit.

Gay dads are also getting extremely well-organised in Sydney and Melbourne, forming dinner and social clubs exclusively for those involved in breeding.

While there are plenty of gay donor dad horror stories, there are just as many successes. So go forth and procreate, gay men of Sydney.