Reading the room, naked

How queer naturists scan for safety before they can finally exhale.

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from being queer in public. Not the physical kind, though that would be easier to explain. It is the low hum of constant calculation, the quiet, ongoing mental audit of every room you enter. Who’s here? What’s the vibe? Will someone say something? Is this going to cost me something emotionally?

Now stri…