The importance of community has has never seemed as important as it has in 2020. We’ve been told to isolate, mask and keep distance from once another for the health of ourselves and those around us. I’m a social butterfly at heart, and thrive in communal environments. It’s been a difficult adjustment for myself and other extroverts like me. Now, thanks to technology, not only do we have local, physical communities to draw a sense of place from, but virtual zoom grids and social media to connect with friends and enemies from all over the world. It’s a whole new way to interact and drive each other crazy!

I’ve felt very lucky to have been in Amsterdam during the Corona lock-down. Financial and emotional support seemed to come from everywhere, both from the government and human friends and family. The Dutch government stepped in immediately and started creating plans and schemes for most of its citizens and residents who had lost income due to the quarantine. One friend brought me a bag of groceries in the beginning of the lock down, saying that he’d heard we were supposed to look after the elderly. Luckily for him. I appreciate a hateful sense of humor.

My first, LIVE Zoom experience was hosted by a local gay bar, Prik. They were hosting a pub quiz and invited their patrons online to share a drink and a laugh together. Like everywhere else, they had to close their doors and get creative with new ways to make money from the community that couldn’t visit and buy drinks from them anymore. Not only did it remind us that we had a place to go (eventually), it also brought the community together.

The Prik Pub Quiz ended up being a glorious respite from the prison my apartment had become. It looked like a super-gay, Dutch version of the Brady Bunch. I couldn’t have been happier, seeing all the smiling faces on my grid. The host had people laughing, some participants wore silly outfits, I even heard that there were a few trying to cheat with Alexa! (you know who you are) All were trying to make the best of our brave, new world and remind each other that we were still alive, and were still a community, together- but apart.

The treacherous virus also brought my old dance troupe together on Zoom. The Dazzle Dancers reunited for a very special hour. Only the Goddess knows how under normal circumstances all of us have stayed alive this long. The stars aligned and cameras were turned on in Amsterdam, NYC, Chicago, Seattle and Maui all at once. Some were dunking in pools and bathtubs while others were hunkering in the forest. One was walking his dog in a fashionable, pink scarf, while another was showing off his mushroom growing skills. All of us were smiling during this trying time. I think it was because we found a moment of joy in our community of yesteryear, however virtual it was.

As safe and convenient as a Zoom meeting can be, sometimes virtual connections are not enough. The global community was called into action to protest the death of George Floyd. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that Mr. Floyd was a black man from Minneapolis who was brutally murdered by the police. No Zoom meeting could convey the rage and injustice felt by Black Americans and their allies. A virtual meeting wasn’t going to get politicians and police noticing how angry people are. The only way to demonstrate this was to see great numbers of people marching together, and making many voices one. The jury is still out on what changes will be made to policing, but these community demonstrations have ignited many a conversation and changed some corporate sensibilities. The masses have finally called BULLSHIT on racism. This is thanks to a community coming together. At times like this, the risk is worth the reward.

People need people. People want to see other people. An example of another show of community, was by the Amsterdam drag queen, Jennifer Hopelezz. Jennifer has always been one to put HOPE in the heart Amsterdam’s LGBTQ Community. Everything has been closed and people are sad about it. I’m not sure if she decided to take to the canals to cheer us up, but if it was, it worked. Accompanied by gentle music from two, live pianist, she and her crew offered smiles and waves to whoever happened to be walking by. This uniquely, Amsterdam moment warmed the hearts and heralded cheers from the streets. It brought random bystanders together, if only for an instant.

These are strange times. New rules and laws have been put into place for our safety and continuation of future, healthy communities. Can we please cut each other some slack and stop shaming each other? People are not, and never will be perfect. Let’s try to lift each other up and be there for each other, rather than gossiping and tearing each other apart. We need our communities now, more than ever. We will get through this, but only if we do it together.