Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 429 July 31, 2019

BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
I love a lot of things about summer, but
my absolute favorite thing? The beach.
my territory closest to the water for the
best view (and close to the lifeguard, if
you’re living your “Baywatch” fantasy).
I’ll take as many beach days as I can
get. Of course, all the gays love Fire
Island—which is perfect if you have a
place to stay and have at least the whole
weekend to get away. However, when
I just have a day to spare, or even just
an afternoon, I always make my way to
Jacob Riis Beach.
Preparing for the beach is always
important. I have a checklist of
essentials: swimwear
(Nathan
Ayon
briefs), a
large beach
towel,
sunscreen
(the highest
SPF I can
possibly find),
alcohol in a
cooler (bottles
of rose are my
go-to), lunch
and snacks (deli
sandwiches
are pretty easy
to transport),
whatever book
I’m reading at
the moment
(“The Razor’s Edge”
by W. Somerset
Maugham) and some
kind of game (deck
of playing cards). I
throw everything in an oversized
beach tote and head for the train.
The last time I went, my friends had
their own lists, adding: beach umbrella,
portable phone charger, a beach mat
to go under our towels, a Bluetooth
speaker, bottles of water and a unicorn
floaty (of course).
You want to arrive to Jacob Riis as early
as you can shake your hangover to make
sure you get a good spot: I like to claim
What I love so much about Jacob Riis
Beach is how diverse it is. You will see all
ethnicities, all genders, all body types—
all of us, just living our best lives for an
afternoon away from the reality of the
city. A group of 20-something twinks
drank wine coolers behind us, an elderly
gay couple sunbathed to our right
and to our left a group of women with
brightly colored hair
had their breasts out,
running back and forth
between their towels
and the water. One of
their male friends had
scars on both sides
of his chest, and I
reminded myself
how lucky I am to
be alive in a time
when we can be
proud to live our
lives as our true
selves.
the
Beach Day
My boyfriend
got me to do
something I’ve
never done
at Jacob Riis
Beach: go into
water. I never
go further
than my
knees—I’m
just there
to lay in the sun
and collect seashells anyway.
But my boyfriend went out as far as his
toes could touch (three inches shorter
than me, mind you) and begged me
to come out with him. I went slowly,
cowardly, jumping as every wave took
over a little bit more of my body—but
once I’d dunked my head under water,
I didn’t want to leave. We stayed out in
the water a long time, swimming and
splashing and kissing.
Your next day off, I highly recommend
Jacob Riis Beach. Just don’t forget the
SPF!