Auckland's gay men-about-town are well-read, opinionated, have "bucket loads of charm" and are never seen in the suburbs, writes newspaper gossip columnist Bridget Saunders. In her tongue-in-cheek guide to Auckland's "types most frequently negotiated on the social circuit" in today's Sunday Star-Times ‘Sunday' magazine, Saunders identifies nine types of people she encounters when she's out-and-about. Among them, ‘The Minx', ‘The Skank', ‘The Substance Abuser', ‘The Politician' and… ‘The Gay'. "The Gay will be more successful that his siblings, better dressed and make his mum much more proud than anyone else in the family,” the gossiper asserts. Only seen in the inner city, The Gay's hangouts are “tanning studios (bake not spray!), the gym, the gay coffee shop, the gay sex club or the gay night club," according to Saunders. "He is also well-read, opinionated and can discuss everything from Peter Davis to Area 51." The story-spilling socialite also concludes that an Auckland gay man's most likely international role models are Tom Ford, Thierry Mugler and Rupert Everett. Their favourite magazines? 'Jack' and 'Men's Fitness'. Saunders writes that stereotyping others isn't nice, but jokingly admits that her use of the categories 'very useful' in the 'minefield' Auckland social scene. Ref: Sunday Star-Times (m)