theFeed our seniors who are living with HIV, is a sense of increasing isolation. “When we deliver the bag, we actually engage and try to have a five- to 10-minute conservation, just to check in with our clients. This allows us to engage with them, even if it’s from a distance.” UHU has also begun delivering emergency food assistance packages, which provide about a week’s worth of groceries and personal hygiene products, to vulnerable community members. (Some elderly clients will qualify for both food assistance and senior kits.) In total, Hickson expects to deliver 500 senior kits and about 300-400 food assistance packages by the time stay-at-home orders are lifted. “Us Helping Us isn’t just our name, it’s our mantra, and we want people to know that we’re always here for the community,” he says. “And we will continue to be involved in the community, despite this global pandemic.”
munity about the importance of testing and HIV/STD prevention measures, and the “Crossroads” intervention program, for HIV-negative gay and bisexual men, which touches on a number of heretofore ignored topics, including sexuality and sexual fluidity, navigating serodiscordant relationships with partners who are living with HIV, HIV stigma, and other sensitive issues. To help vulnerable LGBTQ people during the pandemic, the organization has launched its “senior care kit” program, where employees fill boxes with materials designed to help protect LGBTQ elders from the spread of COVID-19. Those kits, which are care packages distributed every two weeks, include N95 masks and washable face coverings, over-thecounter pain medications, and personal hygiene products to help seniors get through the pandemic without having to venture out as much. “We also include a crossword puzzle and a word find in the kits,” says Hickson. “Just some things to keep seniors busy. Because one of the things we’ve been hearing, especially among
No Glory
Gay sex club forced to close after allegedly violating Michigan’s lockdown orders. By Rhuaridh Marr
A
GAY CLUB AND ADULT TOY STORE COMPLEX IN Lansing, Mich., has been forced to close after authorities alleged it had violated the state’s COVID-19 lockdown measures. The Fantasies complex, which includes Club Tabu and sex toy and adult video store Fantasies Unlimited, was served a cease-and-desist letter by Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail, Lansing City Pulse reports. Vail told the Pulse that the retail portion, Fantasies Unlimited, “hasn’t been allowed to be open yet under the executive order.” “On top of that, there’s [Club Tabu] in the back room which has been opening and there’s a lot of close contact,” Vail added. “No way they are 6 feet apart.” Club Tabu describes itself as an “alternative lounge” for gay, bi, and trans men “with a BDSM flavor.” It features “a large maze” with “an extensive network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has
26
MAY 28, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM
to find a way, and in our case, it is very dark and made with walls that have a few holes in them.” Per the Pulse, Club Tabu also has monitors showing adult films and a sex sling, according to one patron. A sign on the door reportedly urged patrons to take steps to “minimize the risk of spreading the covid-19 virus,” including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing. It said: “While the business celebrates inclusivity and association amongst its private members as well as members of our greater community, proactive steps must be taken to minimize the risk of spreading the covid-19 virus.” The club reportedly ignored an initial cease-and-desist letter, served earlier in May, and was finally shuttered after a second letter was served by police on May 22. PinkNews reports that social media posts shared by the club have characterized the lockdown, implemented by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), as a “deprivation of rights.”
