Neighbors is a monthly event, a Facebook community, and a group of volunteers. It is where Saigon’s gay community gathers to connect and expand business networks, furthers careers, and stay current with what’s happening in the community. Saigoneer talked the organizers of the event (the first of which will take place this Saturday at OMG) who explained that unlike other gay events in Saigon, Neighbors focuses on networking and creating a positive get-together for the gay community, rather than a place to hookup.

What is Neighbors?

Neighbors is a gay party where people can network and enjoy a drink together. We want to make it something that the gay community can feel proud to attend.

What makes it different from other gay events?

The biggest difference is that it's not a place to hook up. It's a place to share ideas, make new friends, and share some laughs in a lovely venue with a wonderful view. We want to create a community that will get involved in local neighborhoods by helping people. It's not enough to party, we want to attract a group of enthusiastic people who also want to help their community. Our goal is to have a team of people who want to volunteer and promote a positive image as if to say: "This is what gay people look like and we are contributing members of society."

What can we expect to see at the party?

We will start with a family style dinner. There will be several tables for people to sit with each other and get to know strangers over a lovely meal from OMG. The dinner ticket includes a ticket into the party as well, so guests can enjoy a more intimate dinner with their gay neighbors and then enjoy drinks with a larger crowd during the party. The party itself is sponsored by Jameson Whiskey and will have a table where people can make their own drinks with our skilled mixologist from The Observatory, Danny. We will also have some other fun surprises. We are going to have various activities that encourage people to mingle as well.

What kind of audience do you hope to attract?

We hope to have people ranging from their 20s to 40s who are working professionals in various fields. We also hope to attract young gays that might not be out or confident, and we hope to have our party instill a sense of confidence-- that is to say, that being gay is normal, look at all these successful, healthy, and happy people.

You can find details about this Saturday's event here.