Bayou City Boys Club emerged from humble beginnings. In 1993, a group of Houstonians, each celebrating their 30^th birthday that year, hosted a combined birthday party on the Saturday night before Easter. Anticipating about 200 guests, the group secured a tropical plant warehouse as a venue and hired a local D.J. to spin. Given the venue, it seemed only natural to dub the party “Jungle Lust.”

Houston, along with communities everywhere, had been devastated by more than a decade of AIDS.  Each of the birthday celebrants had been touched in some way by this relentless plague and so decided to use the party as a means of giving something back to the Houston community.  Gifts were not allowed and instead, guests were asked to make a donation to the Houston Clinical Research Network, a non-profit organization conducting clinical trials for new HIV/AIDS medications. As a fundraising mechanism, the party was a huge success, so the group agreed to make it an annual event.  Soon after, the group incorporated and acquired 501(c)(3) non-profit status in the Bayou City of Houston and was named Bayou City Boys Club, Inc. (BCBC).  The founders of BCBC made very clear in its incorporation that the sole mission of the new organization was to raise funds for Houston-area HIV/AIDS service providers, education efforts and research.  

The 1993 event set the theme and tone for the eleven parties that would follow. From a plant warehouse, a dance floor and two bars were carved out of the forest of tropical plants.  The birthday boys worked with close friends who all volunteered to move and arrange the hundreds of plants warehoused in the facility, only to replace them again on Easter Sunday morning after the event. What they created was an ambiance that no amount of professional decoration could have duplicated. Imagine a dance party in a tropical rain forest with narrow trails wandering into the darkness of the jungle and away from everyday civilization.

That first Jungle Lust was, more than anything, a labor of love and a celebration to help heal a community that was wearied and shocked by the loss to AIDS of so many of it members and friends.  Jungle was and is a “happy” party with upbeat dance music, friendly Texas men, and a sense of community that prevails to this day.

Over the next five years, Jungle Lust grew steadily in both size and popularity, and the donations to its beneficiaries increased dramatically. After Jungle Lust 6 in 1998, it became clear to BCBC’s leadership that the party had outgrown the plant warehouse, so the search began for a more accommodating venue. In 1999, the group settled on the Houston Polo Club, ironically one the more conservative bastions of Houston “old money” set. Jungle Lust 7 and 8 were held in the open-air pavilion adjacent to the polo fields. Legend has it that some of the more adventurous guests found time for self-guided tours of the “off-limits” stables complex.

Jungle Lust 8 in 2000 marked a turning point for the event, when BCBC made determined efforts to take the party to a higher level, establishing it as a first rate event that compared favorably with other regional and national parties. A young DJ from New Orleans, Joe Gauthreaux, who was beginning to make his mark on the circuit, was selected to spin for the event. After much consideration for the needs of the beneficiaries and considerable discussion by the members, the budget for the party was increased based on BCBC’s certainty that if it built a first class circuit event in Houston, people from other parts of Texas and the United States would attend, thereby increasing the fundraising potential. To offset increased expenses, an additional event was added to the weekend to compliment the Saturday night main event. Ben Parsley of Austin’s Splash Productions graciously produced a Sunday night closing party at Rich’s Houston, sharing proceeds with BCBC’s beneficiaries.

2000 was also the year that one of Houston’s most prominent fundamentalist churches unwittingly contributed to BCBC’s fundraising efforts. Limited parking at the Polo Club caused BCBC to seek offsite parking for guests. The closest significant parking facility belonged to the First Baptist Church of Houston. While the church would not donate the use of its parking lot to BCBC, it did agree to allow use of the lot for a fee.  After the event, BCBC mailed a check to the church to cover the agreed upon fee for use of the church’s parking lot. However, the check was returned to BCBC after the church realized that BCBC was an organization of gay men raising money to help in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Seeing no other acceptable response, BCBC donated the fees to its beneficiaries from the event and dutifully provided a letter to the church thanking them for their donation on behalf of the HIV/AIDS organizations that received the funds.   

BCBC ushered in even more changes for the 2001 event. The Houston Polo Club issued an edict that future events could not exceed 800 guests. Since attendance at Jungle Lust 8 had surpassed 1100, the organization again sought a new venue. They finally settled on a warehouse in the near east side of downtown Houston that had once been a blimp hangar. The owners promised improvements such as working restrooms and sufficient air conditioning, which did not materialize. Portable toilets were brought in along with a backup generator for sound and lighting should the building’s dated power system fail. So as not to exclude some of the more sensitive corporate sponsors, the name of the event was changed to “Jungle 9.” Despite logistical challenges, the new venue proved to be very popular while giving the party an edgier, more underground feel.

According to Mike Collins, BCBC’s current president, “Jungle 9 represented another turning point in the history of Jungle. We hired DJ Warren Gluck from New York to spin and he was on fire that night. Warren is one of my favorite DJ’s and I have heard him numerous times at Fire Island, on cruises, and around the country, but I have never heard him spin better than he did at Jungle 9. I spent some time with him in the DJ booth and for the first time experienced a DJ feed off of the incredible energy of the crowd. I recall commenting to my boyfriend that the circuit had finally arrived in Houston. Standing with Warren and watching it all unfold was definitely my peak moment as a member of BCBC, and perhaps my favorite memory ever of the circuit.”

Jungle 10, in 2002, was one of the most successful Jungles ever, but also presented the organization with its most significant challenges. BCBC originally planned to return to the warehouse where it had hosted Jungle 9. However, when it came time to sign the contract, the venue had lost its occupancy permit. With less than two months before the event, the co-chairs decided against using the previous venue and had to locate another suitable venue almost immediately.  After pursuing numerous leads, a cavernous space on the south side of the city was finally located. Because it was four times the size needed for the party, the members of BCBC set about the considerable task of down-sizing the venue to a more intimate and appropriate space.  This was achieved by assembling a massive framework to support huge sheets of black plastic.  Hundreds of tropical plants and life-sized topiary animals were also carried in to create the customary Jungle atmosphere. Among veteran members, Jungle 10 is still affectionately known as the “black plastic Jungle.”  

Despite the challenges, Jungle 10 set new records for attendance and fund raising. Over 1500 people attended. A record number of men from outside Houston arrived on the scene. Jungle 10 also marked the first event to consist of an entire weekend of affiliated parties. BCBC worked with several veteran promoters and club owners to produce a Friday night opening party, an after-hours party on Sunday morning following the main event and a Sunday night closing party. BCBC’s production partners also secured well known DJ talent and live entertainment for each of these events and shared a significant portion of proceeds with Jungle’s beneficiaries.    

When the dust settled from Jungle 10, a core group of active and committed BCBC members were faced with two significant challenges – what direction to steer Jungle in the future and how to attract new, capable members to the all-volunteer organization. It did not take long for the group to come up with the answers. An emeritus membership tier was established, allowing veteran members who no longer desired active, day-to-day involvement to remain as members of the organization to consult and to assist with fundraising. To recruit new talent, the organization also established an associate membership tier to augment membership and educate new volunteers.     

As for Jungle, the organization unanimously committed to take the popular event to an even higher level. In 2003, Jungle 11 moved to Verizon Wireless Theater in the heart of downtown Houston’s arts and entertainment district. One of the finest performance and event spaces in the southwest, the new venue provided Jungle revelers with an unmatched party experience including upgraded sound and lighting, live entertainment and enhanced overall production values. Miami’s Monty Q was hired to spin and live entertainment included Circuit Mom in her Texas debut, backed up by a troupe of Houston’s beefiest male dancers. DJs Roland Belmares, Dawna Montel and Barry Harris performed masterfully at the opening, after-hours and closing parties. The entire line-up of weekend events was talked about by the amazed attendees for months to come and Jungle’s name and Houston’s place was firmly secured on the national circuit. 

Not willing to rest on the laurels of its most acclaimed effort to date, BCBC sought to once again upgrade the 2004 edition of Jungle in subtle but meaningful ways. Superstar DJ and producer Manny Lehman was hired to spin for Jungle 12, where he gave one of the signature high-energy performances that have vaulted him to superstardom. The members gave special attention to theme and decoration in order to evoke memories of the earliest Jungle parties held in the plant warehouse. BCBC arranged for the donation of bottled water which was distributed free of charge to guests. Over 130 generous individuals provided a record amount of underwriting support for Jungle 12.  In return, these VIP guests received exclusive use of the entire upper level of Verizon Wireless Theater, where they enjoyed an open bar, private restrooms, concert-style seating and a view overlooking the main event and dance floor on the lower level.  Both the closing party with DJ Roland Belmares and the after-hours party with DJ Dawna Montel set new attendance and fund raising records, as well. Jungle 12 attracted a record number of out-of-town guests, with approximately 1/3 of attendees residing outside Houston. Best of all, the party received overwhelmingly positive feedback from guests from all over the country.

While Jungle has evolved over the years, the core values of BCBC and the principals guiding the event have remained unchanged. BCBC continues to be an all volunteer organization with no paid staff, no offices and virtually no overhead. BCBC is steadfast in its dedication to raising funds for HIV/AIDS education, services and research in the Houston area. Individual underwriting and corporate sponsorship still largely cover the cost of Jungle, allowing BCBC to donate general admission ticket proceeds to the designated beneficiaries. In its history, BCBC has donated over $780,000 to Houston-area HIV/AIDS charities, the majority of which was generated by the twelve Jungle events.

Jungle 15, our 15th anniversary party, promises to be the biggest one to date.  The name of this year's party is "Return to Lust" which is an homage to the early Jungle Lust parties. BCBC has chosen Warehouse Live as the venue for the main party. This new venue has a dynamic sound and lighting system that must be experienced in person to be appreciated.  For this special milestone party, a Texas native was chosen to headline, DJ Roland Belmares.  Jungle weekend will also include: DJ Abel, DJ Alyson Calagna and DJ Jamie J. Sanchez. For the first time, BCBC is partnering with Bunnies on the Bayou to co-produce an event for the weekend. In addition, the bunnies event has been added for the 15th anniversary to the weekend pass.

BCBC also places emphasis on its other annual fundraising events which include an annual Red Ribbon Toy Drive Holiday Party, Tea for 200 and a benefit theater performance evening. While appealing so a somewhat more diverse demographic, these events provide the diversification that is essential to BCBC in order to remain a dominant contributor of funds raised to assist Houstonians afflicted with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Some things never change, however. The members of BCBC have always worked creatively and tirelessly to make sure that their guests have a great party experience and will want to return year after year.