What Kind Of Security Is This??

Oh, that's right ... he must be one of the fierce officers of "F.I.S.T." - the "Fire Island Security Team". I just LOVE their hats.

Not to mention their annual Tea Dance, which is simply DEE-VINE.




.

Afternoon Dance Break - Money's Too Tight (Fire Island Dub)

CUTBACK! The kitty pictures are a cute touch...

 

Invasion Of The Pines - 2008

Every Fourth of July, The Pines in Fire Island is subject to an “invasion” of drag queens from the neighboring community of Cherry Grove. This year was no different.

Those of you who have seen When Ocean Meets Sky have already heard this story. Legend has it that in 1976, a drag queen from the Grove was snubbed at the club in The Pines (the two communities are very different). So a few queens from Cherry Grove rented a water taxi and “invaded” The Pines in full drag – to a surprisingly warm welcome. They did it again the following year with more drag queens in a bigger boat. And each year The Invasion has gotten more popular and more spectacular.

Every year there are surprise “celebrity” appearances. This year it was Michelle Obama:


And Amy WineWarehouse:

And even some Polygamists:

It looks like a good (and drunk) time was had by all. For more pictures, go to Pines Punch.

Arrests On Fire Island

There have been reports that arrests were made for sexual misconduct in the infamous “Meat Rack” on Fire Island last weekend – sparking some outrage in the gay community. The Meat Rack is the wooded area between the gay villages of ‘The Pines’ and ‘Cherry Grove’, and has been a sexual meeting place for decades. The area is governed by the National Park Service, which has traditionally turned a blind eye to the shenanigans.

Here’s a crash course on Fire Island: it is basically one long sand bar that is dotted with settlements and villages. There are no cars on the island – you have to get there by ferry or water taxi. The Pines and Cherry Grove are the two gay areas, but there are also “straight” villages (Kismet, Ocean Beach, Saltaire and others). The Pines is the wealthy and upscale area – the homes there are the most extravagant on the entire island. The crème de la crème of gay society ends up in The Pines at one point or another, and people there party like animals (lots of drugs, lots of sex). Calvin Klein kept a house in The Pines for years – ‘nuf said.

Cherry Grove, on the other hand, is the campy cousin of The Pines. If The Pines is Marc Jacobs and Porn Stars, then Cherry Grove would be Rip Taylor and Drag Queens. Whereas the guys of the Pines do a lot of drugs, the queens from Cherry Grove LOVE their liquor (a lot). The residents of the Pines take great delight in pointing out the many faults of Cherry Grove’s population, and vice versa. However, inhabitants of BOTH Cherry Grove and The Pines have always happily had sex with each other in the Meat Rack. It’s like a mini-United Nations with oral instead of translators.

I spent exactly ONE night in The Pines as a guest of a friend years ago – and I vowed never to go back. It was like being in the middle of a bad gay joke – men in sarongs telling you where the best orgies were, and the best drug dealer to go to before the orgy (seriously!). But heaven forbid you arrive at the orgy (or the bar, or the beach, or the ferry dock, or the bathroom) too EARLY, or ate more than a skimpy salad for dinner, or said that you happen to think Puerto Rican guys are hot. Such individualism is NOT tolerated under Pines Gay Fascism! I couldn’t wait to get the hell outta there.

Read the story about the arrests here. And if you ever get a chance, watch When Ocean Meets Sky, a documentary about the history of The Pines (they show it on LOGO). Hat tip to Joe.My.God for the Google Maps image.

Summer Fridays

Last night I was walking home (yes, trying to get some exercise) from my part-time job, and I noticed that a couple of bars (of the straight variety) were PACKED. I started to wonder if today was a holiday and maybe people didn’t have to work. But then I remembered “Summer Fridays” – a phenomenon we have here in New York City. In many companies, people are off (or only work a half-day) on Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It allows people to start their weekend early, and anyone going to the Hamptons (or Fire Island) can get a head start and avoid the traffic. For those not leaving the city, many go out on Thursday since they don’t have to worry about being hung over at work the next morning.

Does this happen in other cities, or is this a strictly NYC thinng?

Star Jones Splitting With Big Gay Al Reynolds

SHOCKING! After more than 3 years of marriage, Star Jones has finally kicked her Big Gay Scrub to the curb. See the story at A Socialite's Life here. I guess that means he can go back to Fire Island (where he used to spend his summers pre-Star).