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Emerging from ISO lock-down – to what?
The end of a couple of months social isolation is nigh!
:silly: :blink: Although each state is tackling the end of lock-down in a slightly different way, the new normal that will shape our social life is starting to appear.
And I see some looming challenges for many of us.
So it’s time to exit from a dream that life will somehow return to the way it was last year. And instead focus on how to work with the constraints of the post-ISO world.
As I stick my head up into the sunshine and blink at the bright light I see some things that are new and different.
1. Contact Tracing (identity outing)
It will be the norm as we emmerge from our lock-down, that you have to provide your (real) name and contact details to enter a venue – and probably when you leave as well. This is a nightmare scenario for many girls out for a night on the town. All that effort on makeup, hair, and accessories – blown away by the bouncer insisting on seeing your ID. For so many, the ID just doesn’t match the reality – and having the bubble of self-confidence burst before the evening gets going will be hard to take. It isn’t just the bouncers outside clubs that will now be asking for ID – but everywhere we go; restaurants; bars; they all have a legal requirement to keep a record of everyone who goes in and out and when. It’s good for our health but a potential blow to self confidence.2. Capacity limits
Venues are facing restrictions on how many patrons they can have on the premises. They have to stay within government limits on the number of people in one place (50 and rising in NSW), but more importantly for smaller venues, they need to provide 4 sq.m. for every guest. Faced with fewer guests and less revenue, venues are frequently stating how long you can have a table for a meal. Gone are those leisurely lunches where one was finally thrown out when the restaurant closed, now you will be lucky to get 90 minutes to eat and go.With tables in short supply, some restaurants are insisting on reservations in advance, whilst others have a walk-up only policy. Both present challenges if you are looking to eat with friends. Walking-up to a restaurant with limited capacity may result in some very non-glamorous time queuing outside. Whereas if the restaurant only takes reservations then you have an obligation to turn-up – sadly last minute no-shows are very common in the transgender world – as it only takes one broken nail to put an entire evening’s plans in jeopardy.
3. Less social interaction
To minimise the chance of cross-infection venues now have to stop or discourage their guests mingling. Everyone is supposed to stay seated which has the unexciting side effect of limiting your interactions to those seated next to you. This puts a damper on the chance encounters that so many transgender people enjoy in public. We are also supposed to maintain our distance from strangers. This is great for avoiding infection, but probably means you can’t hear what the person next to you is saying. I hope restaurants recognise this soon and turn down the background music (or even better install carpets!).I’m sure the challenges we face will continue to change over the coming months. But for as long as COVID-19 is with us I suspect our social life will be constrained – quite possibly along the lines I have described in this post.
Now is the time to help each other overcome these obstacles. We have to stay visible in the community to be accepted, and we all need a social life to stay sane. I’m sure we will find and share ways to break out of the ISO lock-down. In some ways it promises to be a refreshingly different future – something to be anticipated and enjoyed.
Stay healthy, go out, and be prepared to take on the world as it now is. You owe it to yourself!
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2 Replies
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The points you raise are all valid Adrian and I agree, this will be with us for sometime. A few points of my own (and, yes, I realise everyone will have different points of view):
COVID Tracing: From the moment this was invoked I’ve had no issue with it and I have given great thought to the implications. I personally could not care less what the government does with the information it gathers on me through any source as Google and Facebook know more about me and my secrets anyway. A few venues prior to the current crisis asked to scan your drivers licence before entering which I also had no issue with. What are they going to do with that information anyway? It is unlikely I will see a massive poster hanging from the side of a building outing me a dresser though I must admit a massive poster of me would be fabulous!
Lounging around pubs/cafes/bars etc: This will have more impact on me than anything. I love nothing more than being kicked out of bars, completely drunk, at closing time and, as a dedicated “mingler” those restrictions will bite deep in to my usual sociability. How on earth am I to get dopey men to buy me countless drinks for absolutely no reward when I can’t ply my wares promenading the dance floor?
There is no doubt things will be different for some time to come but that does not necessarily mean it is a bad thing. Like the SAS, we will need to adapt to the prevailing conditions and perhaps do things differently for the time being. I have been to 2 x dinner parties in the past month, as restrictions have eased, which have been absolutely great fun and prior to that I don’t think I’d been to a proper dinner party in 20 years.
It is what it is ladies……”publish and be damned” xx
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No doubt things will change and especially if a 2nd wave eventuates.
The identity check may be a challenging issue for some. We might just see how this goes next week at the Glebe pub. On the other hand I’ve presented my drivers licence with Female name and photo on many occasions in the past when I’ve been to a club in M mode and I’ve not had any problems Or questions for that matter but occasionally a second glance and smile.
