I
saw the pics of party boys crowded together on Fire Island over the
Fourth of July weekend, face masks ditched along with most other
accessories and articles of clothing. My first thought was a
combination of horror and shame. I’ve always gotten defensive when
a gay person or a group of gays does something that makes it easy for
haters to cite while claiming we are a deplorable lot. It’s as if
gays have to always be on their best behavior. No gay man can be a
COVIDIOT. It’s a doubly damning when a gay group comes off as
hypersexual and vacuous.
I
suppose my defensiveness comes from growing up in an era when
homosexuals were regularly labeled as perverts and recklessly lumped
in with pedophiles and other societal pariahs. With so few openly gay
men forty years ago, the public actions of one was easily deemed the
actions of all. It’s why I resented and despised the only gay
organization I ever read about in media: NAMBLA (the North American
Man/Boy Love Association). It perpetuated the notion that gays were
pedophiles and, lo and behold, there wasn’t a throng of “regular”
gay men coming forward to state otherwise.
Despite
all the gains the LGBTQ community has made, I remain wary that
acceptance is far from universal and there are intolerant factions
emboldened by the occupant of the White House who look for fodder to
fuel their campaign to return to a reign of straight white men.
Maybe
I should just chill and tell myself that the “good ol’ days”
won’t come back just because a group of gym-primed gays lets loose
after months of lockdown, drinking and doing party drugs while
cramming together like sardines at some party venue. There have been
plenty of photos of predominately straight people flocking to beaches
and bars, face masks and social distancing recommendations be damned.
There’s a contingency of humans that flocks to It places—crowded
spaces—eager to see and be seen, excited to post that they were
part of The Happening on social media. Look at me, bitches! I’ll
bet you wish you were me!
Actually,
no. But then I’m an extreme introvert whose daily life didn’t
change a whole lot as the planet shut down on account of the
coronavirus. Still, I get that many people have felt like they’ve
been cooped up for too long. Lockdown fatigue has led to many
episodes of shortsighted, selfish behavior.
As
I pass septuagenarians and octogenarians, I take wider detours to
give them space and I hope for their continued wellness. I would be
shattered if I somehow passed the virus on to them through my action
or inaction. I wish more people would remain cognizant of the people
most vulnerable to this epidemic.
I
truly hope that the Fire Islanders do not contract the virus. I have
my doubts though, considering how badly New York was hit. I worry the
attendees will return to households, workplaces and communities,
unknowingly spreading the coronavirus to elderly and
immune-compromised people
they come across. It takes a little reminder, but I know their
actions do not represent most gay men. Stupid people come in every
race, gender, social class and sexual orientation. It’s just when
they are COVIDIOTs, the stakes are so much higher.
Be
sensible, people. And stay healthy.
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