A strip club is usually like a straight man’s rite of passage, but for gay men, it’s a bit more of a taboo-plagued land we’ve never actually crossed into.

However, for those who have made the brave leap into the pole-dancing mecca of straight strip clubs, I can almost guarantee they came out a smarter man. Here are the 13 things I learned as a gay man in a straight strip club.

They play much more Top 40 than expected (Taylor Swift included).

You’re way more awkward than you ever knew yourself to be…

Especially when a naked woman begins hitting on you and this will happen A LOT.

You can work at a strip club and not be a stripper.

The atmosphere is surprisingly upbeat and there's far more happy people than pervy people.

If you sit down, be prepared to get sat on or grinded on or motorboated on.

Their dance form is an art…

And so are their shoes.

Handsy is an understatement when it comes to private lap dances. Like a no-holds barred WWE match.

Most girls are proud to be working at their given establishment and there's not any sort of negative stripper stigma.

You find yourself cheering on strippers like you cheer on drag queens during their best lip sync performance. 

The actually facility isn’t as nasty as expected. I mean, don't lick the couches but you get what we're saying.

It’s an experience that will be burned into your brain forever and one you’ll never stop talking about it!