This isn’t to say that romances centering gay men haven’t been made, but they’re usually indie flicks. Mainstream Hollywood has a history of reluctance when it comes to featuring stories from minorities, let alone queer men’s sexual and romantic fantasies. Yet it’s rare that these stories, with decades and decades of history, actually become the inspiration for mainstream movies and get the financial backing that comes with it. That’s the magic of Fire Island and places like it (Provincetown, Rehoboth Beach, Palm Springs, etc.) For decades, these queer enclaves in the United Stares have allowed LGBTQ people to let their guard down, and live their most enjoyable lives - sex, love, friendship, and everything in between - without worrying about acceptability. Those memories probably involve friends, handsome strangers, the beach, a sunrise, a hot tub, being sassed by the high school girls working at the Pines Pantry grocery store on their summer break, squealing laughter, and maybe some parts that they don’t totally remember.
There’s also a very strong possibility that both those nights are one and the same. One will be about the best night of their lives. If you ask a gay man from New York City about Fire Island, chances are he will have at least two stories.
