This week, Los Angeles officially opened back up again. Bars and stores are back at full capacity, and you can freely go maskless in most places (though having a mask on hand is just good etiquette.)

For many Angelenos, however, the reopening comes with mixed feelings. For instance: how long will it take for the post-pandemic euphoria to wear off to the point where we’re back to crying in our cars during rush hour? When will it be okay to talk about celebrity gossip again? Is it okay that some of us have never stopped?

Comedian Joel Kim Booster perhaps put it best, encapsulating the LA mood in a nutshell:

Others found the reopening less glamorous…

Some of us are straight-up crying with joy:

While most of us are already back on our bullshit:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Overheard LA (@overheardla)

Say goodbye to pods, and hello to polycules:

 

And let’s not forget the debt we owe our President: 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Overheard At A Gay Bar (@overheardatagaybar)

But not all is well in paradise. In LA and New York, gay bars that held on by a thread during the pandemic are looking for financial support as well as patronage.

Getting back to some version of “normal” is going to take a minute. In the meantime, there are plenty of ways we can keep building community and reclaim the summer. 

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