strange times

Or, as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up:

In these unprecedented times -- times in which the very phrase "unprecedented times" is becoming much more common -- the New York City Department of Health seems to have quietly endorsed the use of glory holes. This is part of a three-page guide to safer sex and COVID-19, along with advice that masturbation is good and kissing is risky.

When asked if the above passage was a tacit endorsement of glory holes, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control and Incident Commander for the Health Department’s COVID-19 response, told Gizmodo (emphasis, again, ours):

We trust our audience and New Yorkers are creative enough to know what this means.

(via ambyr)

surprise parade

I just walked close to two miles, as part of the Belmont pride parade, which I found out about as they were walking past our house. I wasn't planning to go anywhere today; in fact, I was planning not to, for the sake of my hips and left knee.

cattitude happened to notice the parade going past on Beech Street, and I couldn't see an obvious reason not to join them. He had an obvious reason--no shoes--but I grabbed a mask and set out before remembering I did have a reason, and by then I was a couple of blocks from home and decided to keep going for a bit. I hope I don't regret this later in the day, or the week.

I hadn't expected a Pride parade this year, since the big-city Pride events have all gone virtual because of the pandemic, and Boston, at least, then said they are scaling down and refocusing the online stuff to focus on Black lives matter and anti-racism. This parade was small enough that we mostly maintained social distancing, and I hope they're right about outdoors and sunlight, as well as masks, being protective.

When we were still on Beech Street, someone offered me a flag, so I happily waved a small trans pride flag at passing cars, people sitting or standing on the other side of the street, and so on. The parade got friendly waves and honks from almost everyone we passed

I turned before the parade got to Belmont Center, because walking that far before walking home seemed like more than I could handle.

(My route/walk, just because: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=815131)
Also, I have now met my state representative, who introduced himself as we were walking down Common Street; we chatted a little, both general stuff and about legislation to make it easy to vote by mail.