‘Social distancing’ is how LGBT people have always had to live

 | 
04/06/2020

As news reports with dire predictions about Covid-19 began to multiply exponentially, I quickly realized that the inevitable physical distancing required and resulting social isolation was not as big a deal for me as I suspect it is for many other people. Investigating my own sense of calm, I wondered if I was missing something, some quality that allowed me to be untroubled with the idea of quarantining. Then I saw a Facebook post from a young gay Jamaican friend that provided an epiphany: for decades, Jamaica has been “preparing” LGBTQ+ citizens, like myself, for this pandemic of social distance and isolation. In my friend’s words, which I’m paraphrasing only slightly, “We speak now about social distancing, but it’s something I’ve been doing for a long time because of homophobia.” You see, as queer Jamaicans – and queer global citizens, really – we’ve been forced to engage in social distancing as a matter of survival for so long that it is now part of our daily existence.

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 11/20/2024
11/19/2024
The police chief in Germany’s capital is urging Jews and gay people to “be vigilant” while traversing certain Arab-majority neighborhoods, warning many of them …
Added on: 11/20/2024
11/19/2024
Los Angeles officials on Tuesday moved to cement the city and its schools as sanctuaries for immigrants and LGBTQ youth as the city positions …
Added on: 11/20/2024
11/19/2024
The top court in the European Union has started hearing a case that marks a major confrontation between Hungary and the bloc over a …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Added on: 11/17/2024
A record number of asylum seekers claiming to be gay have been allowed to stay in Britain under ECHR rules. The number of asylum …
Added on: 11/16/2024
FIFA has announced support for the organization that oversees tournaments for LGBTQ-inclusive soccer clubs from around the world, including financial assistance. The International Gay …
Added on: 11/15/2024
Cape Town, South Africa – The first-ever International Pride Awards today honoured five remarkable advocates for LGBTIQ+ equality, celebrating them during a ceremony hosted …