A friend of mine posted a photo of his Thanksgiving duck for one on social media. I made a whole turkey, corn bread stuffing and red cabbage for a reclusive buddy of mine last week. He couldn’t wait. He’ll be microwaving his own potatoes. After a week or so of leftovers, his holiday craving will be sated until next year, I’m sure. My plans for Thanksgiving were to spend it with a half dozen friends. Of course, when I called to express my awkward regrets and cancel based on the current state of COVID-19, the host informed me that everyone else had decided against coming as well. Maybe next year…
This is the state of Thanksgiving 2020. The thing is, for many of us, as much as we might have preferred a traditional gathering to making the best of it on Zoom, we’ll cope. However, for many, especially seniors, Thanksgiving is a vestige of community they had always been able to rely on for some semblance of connection. No doubt many were looking forward to their annual day of socializing. In the past, the LGBT Community Center hosted a potluck dinner. A collaborative effort sponsored by spectrum of organizations, it provided a communal Thanksgiving experience for those who might not have had the opportunity or means to celebrate otherwise. This year, sadly, the event has been cancelled. In fact, due to the prevailing conditions, the Center itself is currently closed to the public.
Other organizations did reach out to their members and clients. One offered a pre-order hot meal available for curb-side pick-up. Cleverly, beyond the baked chicken, green beans, corn bread, dressing and dessert, the required online registration also included a check list of other essentials that clients could order as well. The menu ranged from condoms and HIV home test kits to Anti-Violence/Room to be Safe information and Milwaukee Health Department Mask Packs. Under the circumstances, this two-fer service is precisely the sort of response to community needs one would hope for.
Safety Conscious Parameters
Still, some tried a compromise of traditional sit-down dinner within safety conscious parameters. Hopefully, that worked. In keeping with the “better to survive one holiday unscathed than to miss the next one” strategy, most people I know were content to hunker down solo, with a partner or a couple of close friends. Hopefully, they thought to bring a plate to an isolating loved one.
Meanwhile, despite all, Thanksgiving signals the start of seasonal decorating. However muted the mood around the feasting may have been, positivity is key for the weeks following. n that vein, LGBTQs are impatiently chomping at the bit to haul out the ornaments, garlands, wreaths, arrays of logs and other appropriately themed paraphernalia. Particularly this year, if only as an act of self-medicating, over the top displays contrived according to the motto “too much is never enough” are absolutely de rigueur.
Actually, with time on a lot of hands this year, some are well out of the gate. Hamburger Mary’s has already created a festive fairyland environment for guests and public alike. Inspired, it appears, by a parade of drag queens in sequined Bob Macke gowns, Mary’s Mary Christmas Pop Up Bar presents a veritable runway forest of sparkling holiday trees excessively hung with care. Reminiscent of those old fashioned (and no doubt created by a gay guy) department store show window displays on steroids, or, at the very least, on Old Fashions, it begs you to promenade by for a moment of respite from the duress of our quasi-lockdown and get those sugar plums dancing in your head.
Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving and Get Decorating!
