Through the COVID-19 pandemic, GO Mag will be gathering the best queer and lesbian virtual events on the weekends in lieu of our regular weekend event round-ups.
As a wise person on Twitter once said, you can tell a lot about someone by which day of quarantine they think it is. Day 15? Day 5? Either way, we’re all struggling to stay entertained right now. Whether you’re stuck inside with your GF or are so alone that you forget what a hug even feels like, we’ve got you covered with a list of queer things to do to pass the time and maybe even… Have fun?! Yes, have fun.
So many art museums are now offering virtual tours on their websites. Until you can manage to make it to Paris, touring the Louvre online is a pretty cool substitute! It’s the largest art museum in the world. Make crepes/a cheese board/something else very French while you digitally browse.
Following the international theme, queer London-based yogi Elle Bower Johnston is now offering live online classes. Sunday’s class is REST-themed, aimed to help those who are “feeling scattered, anxious or stressed” — in other words, nearly all of us. The class is on Sunday at 5 p.m. GMT or 1 p.m. EST. All levels will be able to participate, and the price is sliding scale with 25 percent of profits going toward food banks and an LGBTQIA+ homeless shelter.
Attend a Queer Online Dance Party
More international fun stuff!!! The hosts of a Montreal-based lesbian party called BLUSH are creating a virtual queer meet-up and dance party, aptly titled Queerantine. There will be DJs and go-go dancers on live stream, plus an interactive Zoom party where you can see and chat with other partygoers. It takes place on Friday at 8 p.m. EST, and the cost is sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
The idea of a virtual dance party is a little hard to imagine, I admit. But I went to one last weekend, and trust me — it was SO much more fun than I ever imagined, and it really helped break my coronavirus blues.
Watch “Feel Good” on Netflix
Queerantine is the perfect time to catch up on queer movies and TV shows. “Feel Good” just came out on Netflix, and it is OMG SO GOOD. It’s a semi-autobiographical series about a Canadian stand-up comedian and her formerly-straight-but-now-not-so-much British girlfriend. Comedian Mae Martin co-created and stars in it; Lisa Kudrow plays her mom. It’s funny and heartbreaking and real and it will reel you in within the first five minutes.
Tour the Winchester Mystery House
Maybe you love horror and you’re heartbroken that you can’t physically go to a haunted house right now. Maybe you’d rather die than go to a haunted house, but the idea of attending one from the comfort of your home is intriguing. One of the country’s most famous haunted mansions, the Winchester Mystery House, has been open in San Jose, California for over 100 years. You can now take an online tour of the house for free until April 7, 2020.
This event technically takes place on Monday, but days of the week are fake now anyway and you don’t want to miss this! James Corden is organizing a virtual music festival and a bunch of stars have already signed on to perform (from their homes), including Dua Lipa, BTS, Billie Eilish, John Legend. The special will take place on Monday at 10 p.m. EST, and you can watch it live on CBS.
Play a Calming Video Game
Even if you’re not normally into video games, we all have to get a little creative with staying calm and passing the time these days. There are lots of fun, calming video games available online! “Stardew Valley” is my current favorite — I was not at all into video games in my pre-coronavirus life, but this one piqued my interest, and now my girlfriend and I are hooked. It’s so cute and surprisingly addictive! Lots of queer people also love “Animal Crossing” but you need to own a Nintendo Switch to play.
Watch Your Favorite Musician Live
If your favorite singers and bands haven’t transitioned to singing concerts live from their houses, then they’re in the minority. Some artists are more on top of this than others; Melissa Etheridge is doing singalongs every single day, while some other artists just pop up on Instagram Live whenever they feel like it. Just like virtual dance parties, virtual concerts are definitely unfamiliar territory, but they’re actually a great deal of fun, especially if you allow yourself to get into it — put the music on speakers, turn the lights low, sip something special, and let your mind drift.
Find more queerantine activities here.
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