Among COVID-19 Gays Aren’t Meeting For Hookups, But Some Are ParTying Virtually
Whether you’d like to admit it or not, the gay community struggles with addiction probably more than our straight counterparts. Combined with this, we’re likely having much more sex. Unfortunately, sometimes the two don’t mix well. In places like West Hollywood, billboards and advertisements exist encouraging their citizens to not participate in meth-fueled sex AKA chemsex AKA PnP, which you may have seen while browsing online dating profiles. As we grow older, the more we learn PnP is tragically a part of some subgenres of our community. We’re having sex, some of us lots of it, and that addiction may bring the excitement of new experiences and highs one needs to achieve. Among COVID-19 quarantine, the majority of us (hopefully) have been behaving to fit with government guidelines. That means – no sex with strangers. Some have turned to virtual sex, kind of like a ‘90s throwback to the old AOL chatrooms, but this time with video cameras. However, that doesn’t mean the parTying hasn’t stopped.
According to The Independent, virtual chemsex is on the rise during lockdown, but that doesn’t mean the niche fetish is any safer. Some gay men are opting for safer sex practices during quarantine, but they are now getting high at home by themselves. Ian Hamiliton, a professor of addiction at University of York in England, tells that anxiety and depression are higher than ever among the pandemic and while socially distancing is helping, fueling your sex drive with drugs while alone can lead to an absolute mess, in particular: Overdosing. Essentially, if you’re going to incorporate some party into your play, the safest option would be to do it around someone who you trust that will be there to alert any medical professional should it be required.
Clearly you can’t control any individual and decisions will be made by impulse or habit. However, are these chemsex parties better kept online rather than physically meeting up in the future? Or – have they even stopped? In particular areas, many men are still meeting up for quick hookups and there appears to be a surge of makeshift gloryholes in Los Angeles county in an attempt to practice social distancing. Will the PnP community have changed at all after the pandemic? Or will it be back to business as usual once bans are lifted entirely around the globe?
If you or anyone you know may be suffering from substance abuse, please contact The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration directly via telephone at: 800-662-4357. Their hotline is open every day, all day.
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
Source: American Addiction , LA Times , The Independent
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