Marcus: Sadness, walks, and masks...
Introduction:
Marcus is a 28 year-old gay Brazilian male living in Newark, New Jersey. He is a language teacher, and he has been mindful of following safety guidelines since the Covid-19 pandemic began. He is a very social person, so limiting his social activities and spending more time at home sometimes makes him feel sad and depressed. Occasionally, when he feels the need to get out of the house, he will go for a walk. Before the pandemic, Marcus had an active sex life. Because he has been attentive to safety guidelines, he is having far fewer sexual encounters than before. He still uses online platforms to seek out prospective partners, but finds himself chatting more than meeting. When he HAS met new people, Marcus insists on mask wearing. However, he notes in his interview that if the date moves towards sexual intimacy, mask wearing is weird and he will take it off. After all, masks don't interfere with talking and getting to know each other, but they do interfere with sexual intimacy. Marcus has noticed that it has become common for people online to ask him about his Covid-19 testing history. Interestingly, not only are many people asking about his Covid-19 testing history, but they are also asking more often than ever before about his testing history for sexually transmitted diseases.
Notable Quotes:
WHAT ASPECT OF FOLLOWING SAFETY GUIDELINES HAS BEEN MOST DIFFICULT FOR YOU?
“I am a very social person. So, I like to get together, not with, I don't interact too much with strangers, but with my friends and people at work, I constantly talk to them and see them. So, it's been hard to be, kind of, away from them, you know, during this time.”
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED YOUR SEX LIFE?
“Well, I can say that I had an active sex life. I used to have it before the pandemic, of course. But now that we need to follow the guidelines that, you know, for safety and everything. It really has affected my life. I haven't had, even though I would like to meet other people and go out, I can't. So, the, what I've done to adapt myself during this time is internet I think: talking to guys, mostly online. A few of them I was able to meet, but with some restrictions.”
SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES IN THE CONVERSATIONS PEOPLE ARE HAVING ONLINE?
“For sure, before, I wouldn't be asked this kind of question if I got tested for corona, or even for STDs, but now, people have started to ask.”