“Like generations before us who lost spaces to raids, AIDS, and gentrification before it had the fancy name, we’re learning just how much these places could feel like a living room, or even bedrooms, and the grief of not saying goodbye to these homes together is painful.” — Leo Herrera, Filmmaker, in response to the announcement that the STUD, a 55-year-old LGBTQ bar in San Francisco, will be officially closing its doors due to the impact of COVID-19.
Every day, with every increase in the total number of human lives lost, layoff announcements, and the closure of some of our most cherished establishments, I am stricken with this feeling of numbness.
My body will shut down like an automatic software update that conveniently knocks you from whatever task you’re invested in at the moment.
Not sure where I go, exactly, but as quickly I zone out, I return to this reality and pick up from where I left off.
Before I get hit with a barrage of comments from people who think I should consult a physician, I appreciate your concern, but I’m way ahead of you.
I have struggled with anxiety and depression my entire life, although I didn’t realize it until late in my twenties.
It was while earning my MS in Eastern Medicine that a classmate called out the pattern that it…
