Male Escorts Are Making a Killing Off Closeted Gay Republicans at the RNC

It's boom time for Cleveland's male escorts. Since the Republican National Convention came to town on July 18, sex workers told theNew York Postthat business has never been better, fueled by closeted conservatives looking for discrete action.

One escort reported that he'd seen 10 male clients in the past week.

"Most of them were first-timers," an anonymous source told the Post. "You could tell they were nervous, but once they became more comfortable, they seemed to be having a good time."

Since Monday, another sex worker claimed he had made five to six times what he normally earns. On an average week, he's likely to bring in $200 or $300. But since Monday, he said that he had earned $1,600.

One man said he's been raking in more than $800 per day--at a rate of $250 an hour.

The average client, according to the escorts who spoke with the Post, is between 40 and 50 years old. Many of them are married politicians or delegates who are staying in hotels downtown near the convention, held at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.

"When it comes to anything people aren't supposed to be doing, they like to do it," one escort argued. "The Republicans have a lot of delegates in the closet, let's put it that way."

In addition to seeking services from male sex workers, the Daily Dot reported that there's been an influx of men using Craigslist to look for casual encounters with other men. "Married guy seeks another married guy at the RNC," reads one ad posted to the site, while another states: "RNC visitors looking for a sub to use and abuse."

"You want to take a break from your delusions," wrote one poster. "I will host or travel. You will kneel and beg."

The influx of same-sex hookups is ironic considering the party's own stance on LGBT people. This week, the Republican National Convention passed what many believe to be the most antigay platform in GOP history.

The GOP reaffirmed its position that marriage is a union strictly "between one man and one woman," while referring to the Obama administration's position on transgender bathroom access as "illegal, dangerous, and ignores privacy issues." The platform states, "We salute the several states which have filed suit against it."

While gay escorts are profiting off the GOP's platform of shame, women have not been quite so lucky. "Has business been better for me?" one female escort told the post. "Honestly, no."