Page 36 - Adelante Magazine April 2021

By: Mary Khon
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE photo by: Jean-Baptieste Burbaud
notes from an antiquated queen

EL FUTURO

Hola Queeridos! again. So I would hookup as soon as course.” And I laugh.
possible.” Another friend said that he would
We are now in the month of April! wait a little longer because “having the vaccine There were a couple of guys who have
doesnʼt necessarily means Iʼm completely, actually put on their headline profile the word
My Goddesses! We are four months—cuenten one hundred percent in the clear.” While a “vaccinated,” which was an indication that
bien—four months into the year 2021 and third friend said that he had not really stopped while the virus is an issue, it wasnʼt for them
things seem to be looking better, worse, and hooking up because, well, he just hasnʼt. anymore because now they were protected. I
better again. I know of people who now have did not contact them at all.
taken not just the first but also the second “Curiosity killed the cat,” I donʼt know where
dose of the virus vaccine, and Iʼm very happy that phrase originated but that is the phrase, I can easily see this trend as the HIV and AIDS
for them, and of course for me. Less chances so I decided to be the curious cat. I opened trend has been for years: profiles say “safe
to get infected and more chances for this the Grindr app to see “what was going on” in only” or “negative,” or “tested on 3/1/2021,” or
pandemic to end. that world is simply a world of fiction, fantasy, “on PREP.” I guess the word “vaccinated” will
and disappointments. Sure enough, guys are be added to the list of coded identifiers when
As I write this column, restrictions in many of logged into the app the same way they were hooking up.
the state counties are being lifted to a certain before the pandemic. And just like before the
degree, and just a few days ago, President virus became a threat, gay guys were trying to The most eye-opener reality to me is the fact
Joe Biden spoke of the a brighter future and hookup. Within minutes my phone had so that the gay community hasnʼt stopped
soon a time when those wanting a vaccine can many Grindr notifications. “What are you hooking up because of the virus. In fact, Iʼve
get one. One can only hope. looking for?” “Hey, handsome?” “Whatʼs up?” seen videos where people engaging in sexual
“Want this?” and so forth. Iʼm not naïve but I activity are wearing facemasks; Iʼm not sure if
Yes, queeridos, things are looking much honestly was surprised at how many people it is because it is a new ʻsex trendʼ or because
brighter, yet we still need to be cautious were in the app, looking for a quick one or it is way to tell people that “we are hooking up
because letting our guards down could bring thick one in the dark. My Goddesses! Havenʼt but we are being safe in regards to COVID-
us back to where we were in January- we learned anything at all? 19.” Whatever the reason, I find this behavior
February. Or we can just behave like the very telling of who we are as a community,
people in TX and Mississippi, throw everything I decided to engage in conversation—conver- because here we are, trying to control a
out the window, and risk being reinfected and sation, queeridos, conversation—with many of pandemic, yet many members of the gay
in the purple tear again. But enough of that, the anonymous guys that contacted me. I community continue to live and behave as if
things are looking better so letʼs move on to wanted to figure out if the virus was a factor in there was not a virus killing people all around
some chisme. their efforts to hookup with someone. Soon, I us.
realized that no one was addressing the virus
I asked this question to a few gay friends, “If issue, or should I said not everyone was Queeridos, I donʼt know when the pandemic
you were fully vaccinated, how long would you willing to address the issue of the virus. If I will go away, but I do know we will all be vacci-
wait to go out and hookup?” Once I asked the mentioned it, they would simply ignore or nated soon, so when you start to see “vacci-
question, the conversation with my gay friends worse, they would just block me. If anyone nated sex parties” popping up out here and
(not all together, mind you) took on its own. addressed it, it was more of a “we can be safe there, make sure to send me an invite. I hope
about it” type of conversation. One guy even to be ready by then. In the meantime, Iʼm
One of my friends said that he wouldnʼt wait at told me that “we could keep our facemasks on staying home.
all. Heʼs been “celibate” for a whole year now while we fuck.” I immediately thought, “I guess
and by gay standards, “Iʼm a virgin once there would be no oral sex leading to the main
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