Hello, July! Hello, beach season! AMIRITE? Last weekend was World Pride in NYC and it was a whole lot on my Instagram feed. By that I mean, a lot of gorgeous queers and trans folx snapping selfies at the queer liberation march, the trans day of action, the dyke march, and the pics that inspired FOMO the most for me, the big ol’ un-sponsored, non-World Pride-organized queer beach party at Riis Beach.
If you’re not from New York, maybe you haven’t hear of the Jacob Riis Beach, a topless and year-round queer beach spot lovingly referred to as the People’s Beach or the Community Beach or just as Riis. A spot at Riis Park has been a cruising and queer meet-up spot since the 1940’s, at least, for cis white gay men and then lesbians in the 1950’s and, since the 1960’s for QTPOC.
Riis and the beautiful, sweaty queer and trans folks avoiding the sponsored rainbow ticker tape parades, lounging on beach blankets in a little corner of this beach in Queens, inspired my question for you this week. If you were free and on the beach, our queer and trans beach, what would you be doing? If you knew that your body would be celebrated, your romantic and sexual proclivities would be respected, your gender would be held sacred, where would you be on the beach? What would be your perfect beach day?
Maybe you’d be the one organizing an impromptu game of beach volleyball. Maybe you’d be sunbathing topless on a big, fluffy beach towel. Maybe you’d be making sandcastles with a moat and delicate seashell trim. Maybe you’d be drinking wine in a kaftan and a glorious floppy sunhat. Maybe you’d be throwing back some beers with your best queers. Maybe you’d be canoodling with a cutie or two under a shade umbrella. Maybe you’d be bopping on the waves daring the sun to shine brighter than you.
Me, well, first of all, I’d be in my bikini, which I just finally bought this year. As much as I preach fat positivity and loving my fat self, I haven’t owned a bikini, a real bikini (not a tankini) since, uh, high school. In high school, I would only wear it at home for sunbathing, never out in public. I’m still a little self-conscious when I wear a bikini in public, as much as I try to trick my brain into exuding confidence, but I wouldn’t feel any of that anxiety at our queer beach.
I’d be rocking my bikini, only the bottoms, letting my 36-year-old 42DD tits swing in the breeze. I’d allow my body to fully relax. I’d walk up to my neck into the waves to cool off and then dry luxuriously on a big beach towel. I’d keep my hair wet so I could run my fingers through it like some queer femme adonis. I’d bring a little cooler with sparkling waters in my favorite flavors and fresh strawberries and tiny cucumber sandwiches. I’d bring a sweatshirt so I could stay until the sun sets over the water and the night sky cools the sand so you can sink your feet below it deliciously.
What about you? What would you do at the queer and trans beach on your perfect beach day?
What else is going on with you this week? Did you go to World Pride in NYC? Did you do some BBQing? Did you celebrate major or minor life events? Did you not leave your house for days on end (like me)? Want to share some pics of your plant babies? Tell me anything! I’m here, on the queer beach in our minds, all day!
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