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He said he donated 130 to a group that advocates for homeless people in the area, is giving away others to seniors, disabled people and those in affordable housing, and is selling the rest.īlock said his brother, who lived in China until February, is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. He had already purchased 6,000 masks from a vendor in China exclusively for West Hollywood residents. That night, Los Angeles County issued sweeping new rules to limit the spread of the virus, including ordering retail businesses that are considered nonessential to shut down.īlock closed his doors. Larry Block, who owns the gay-friendly boutique Block Party WeHo, said Thursday that business was down by 80%. “I don’t think we’re all that liberated in this case that we don’t need a neighborhood.” One of the things people love about West Hollywood - not just the bars - is that it’s a really pedestrian place,” he said. Online is great, but you still need to know there’s a community. “I think, if we’re closed for very long, it’s going to be very unhealthy for us, mentally, psychologically. He also worries particularly about LGBTQ people of color who visit from neighborhoods where there aren’t as many queer-friendly spaces. Niemeyer said he worries most about his 48 employees who are now out of work, especially those such as DJs and dancers who are independent contractors. “I’ve been in the gay bar business for 40 years, so I’ve seen everything but this.” “I don’t know if we should have closed earlier,” he said. He flew to Columbus, Ohio, and looked at renting a car in case flights to L.A.
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That day, Niemeyer was visiting family in Florida, who persuaded him to take the virus more seriously. Customers made few comments about the virus, and the patio was packed. stay-at-home directives went into effect, the handful of bartenders working at Micky’s wore latex gloves. Niemeyer acknowledged that he didn’t realize the gravity of the new coronavirus at first, equating it to a regular flu. “Plus,” he said, “I come from a time when government officials thought closing a gay bar was their civic duty.” Michael Niemeyer, who owns the club Micky’s West Hollywood, said he sees the coronavirus distinctly because of the way it’s evidently transmitted - through breathing and touching, rather than through blood and other bodily fluid transfer. “During the AIDS crisis, people were still going out and people just thought they were above it, that they wouldn’t get sick. “People are not taking this as seriously as they should,” he said. Cooley sees similarities between that time and now. In the early ’90s, the Abbey, then a cafe, was a meeting place for gay people to safely discuss the AIDS epidemic. “I know this will hurt my staff, some of which have been with me for 29 years, my loyal guests who have made the Abbey part of their lives, and my community, who will no longer have the Abbey as a safe space to support each other during the crisis,” he wrote. He also posted a letter on the Abbey’s website. For many, those years were marked not only by fear of acquiring a deadly disease but also by anxiety over the vitriol directed at gay people for supposedly practicing a risky and promiscuous “lifestyle” - and rage at the seeming indifference of many politicians to swiftly address the outbreak.Īfter the Abbey closed, Cooley’s staff divvied up the remaining inventory of food and took home grocery bags. Laurie Marhoefer, an expert on 20th century LGBTQ history and politics at the University of Washington, said the coronavirus could bring back traumatic memories for gay people who survived the AIDS crisis. Scattered people walked dogs or jogged down Santa Monica, some wearing masks, but street parking was abundant and many establishments were dark, with printed notices about the coronavirus taped to their doors. Midafternoon Thursday, when clubs and bars normally would be preparing to open, the area was crisp and sunny but quiet. With 19 confirmed cases, West Hollywood has the most per capita in L.A. On Wednesday, officials announced that West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantined at home. Pride in June will be postponed because of the pandemic. Organizers have announced that all events related to L.A. The virus is affecting the LGBTQ community in numerous ways. The blocks-long parade of bars and restaurants resembled a tranquil suburb more than the vibrant “Boystown.”
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Last week, as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other metropolises closed businesses and restricted public movement, Cooley and other business owners along the Santa Monica Boulevard strip - the heart of the Los Angeles LGBTQ community - said it was surreal to see the area so desolate.