[Vol. 27] I Only Date Vaccinated Guys
Oof, that's hot.
Welcome back to That’s Gay, a candidly queer newsletter for a candidly queer world (cheers to that 😉 🥂), written by me, Till Kaeslin.
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You guys! I just searched up “NYC coronavirus” on Google to look at the below graph (which, not long ago, used to be part of my daily morning routine) only to find out that not only are cases continuing to drop, but around 20% of NYC residents have been vaccinated!! That’s 1 out of 5 people!!!
*ahem: not counting the anti-vaccers waving around “free your face” signs at this weekend’s anti-mask protest.
Obviously, as officials and health experts the world-over are saying, we’re not out of the woods yet – what with all the new strains, illegal secret parties, and giant snakes with six heads and lazers strapped to their heads going around.
But we’re getting there! We’re getting their despite the totally-real giant snakes.
So you might be wondering, why am I talking about coronavirus numbers and not the number of New York City gays that flocked to Central Park this weekend to soak up the sun and drink too much iced coffee?
What does corona have to do with queer life?
Well, first of all, I thought I’d start the newsletter off with some good news. It pumped me up this morning, so I figured I’d share the feeling.
Second, I thought I’d share one very unique way the gays are putting the Covid-19 vaccine to good use in recent months – other than, you know, to serve its purpose and limit the spread of the virus.
The Covid-19 vaccine is the gay man’s new best-selling personal ad.
Hot returns guaranteed.
I knew the vaccine was starting to get in more people’s arms when I logged onto Grindr, a gay dating app, and scrolled through a an avalanche of “vaccinated top/bottom” profiles.
That’s right – move over usernames peppered with eggplant and peach emojis; step aside usernames with measurements of a guy’s junk that everyone knows are always just a few inches too generous – the era of the “vaccinated top/bottom” has arrived.
This isn’t our first rodeo.
The “vaccinated …” usernames aren’t all that surprising honestly, given that this pandemic is not the gay community’s first rodeo.
The AIDs epidemic, which peaked around the mid-1980s, has left most gay men who lived through it thoroughly shaken (and for good reason). That trauma has managed to seep through generational divides, and it’s changed the way we interact with each other, even today.
No, I didn’t live through the peak of the AIDs epidemic (and thank god for it), but I see evidence of it left behind like a scar everywhere I look – not to mention HIV/AIDs is still alive and well today.
Although I don’t see a lot of usernames that show someone’s HIV/AIDs status, it’s been made a permanent fixture on Grindr profiles. Just like you would set your birthday, location, or employment on Facebook, you can set your HIV/AIDs status on Grindr – if you’re positive or negative, whether you’re on preventative medication (PrEP), etc.
It’s almost as if the gay community was prepped for this pandemic (no pun intended).
Different virus, different transmission, different prevention, but same question: how do we let people know our status?
The equation is simple: A vaccination = more action.
It’s as simple as that, folks.
Although I’m not quite sure as to the exact metrics, I feel as though you can expect an increase in your interactions on dating apps by ten-fold when you get stuck with that life-saving needle (whether gay, straight, or bi) …
1. Because caring about your community is sexy
Caring about slowing the spread of Covid-19 is a massive turn on. A nice body and kind eyes never hurt when they’re on the menu, don’t get me wrong, but first things first, your heart has to be in the right place.
2. Because caring about yourself is sexy
We expect basic hygiene from our dates (I hope), so we should expect them to take care of themselves in other ways too. A vaccination, preventative/suppressing medication, or any other forms of “I’m taking care of myself” practices are key.
Trust me, you don’t want to get drinks or get into bed with someone who doesn’t care about caring for themselves, because if they can’t take care of themselves, they sure as hell won’t take care of you.
So get vaccinated folks. If not for you, if not for the community, do it because it’s guaranteed to make you a whole lot sexier.
Today’s discussion Q:
Along with all the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has ushered in, do you think asking/sharing our health details with potential dates is here to stay?
I’ll answer my own question below. Let me know what you think! As always, I’ll be reading/responding to all.
And that was That’s Gay, Volume 27. See you in Volume 28, folks!
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I'm kind of split on this.
On the one hand, I think some changes from coronavirus really are here to stay. Dating has been pushed into the virtual world even harder than it was being pushed before, and I think that's here to stay. With that change (AKA love at first swipe) I think it'll follow naturally that people ask each other about their health more candidly. Why? Well I think it's a lot easier/less awkward to do so over text than it is in person. It feels more like an automated process than it could if you had to work it into conversation.
On an entirely different hand, I kind of think everything I've just written above is a load of bull shit. Coronavirus may have altered our world as we know it now, but I think the world tends to bounce back to "normal" a lot faster and more completely than people think. Yes, my mask feels like an extension of my body by now, but after a year or so when it's time for it to come off, will I ever go back? Will I really throw one on when I have a cough in the future? I'm skeptical, but I guess we won't know for sure until we get there.