It’s premiering on Hulu on Friday, stars two Asian American queer men as its leads, and doesn’t include any tragedy or harangued coming out (usually the kind of gay stories Hollywood leans on). That’s why director Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island stands out. More recently, family-friendly mainstream rom-coms like 2018’s Love Simon and 2021’s Single All the Way have been released, but Fire Island is the first of two high-profile comedies out in the next few months (Billy Eichner’s Bros will be released at the end of September) that promise not to shy away from gay men’s sex lives. This isn’t to say that romances centering gay men haven’t been made, but they’re usually indie flicks. Mainstream Hollywood has a history of reluctance when it comes to featuring stories from minorities, let alone queer men’s sexual and romantic fantasies. Yet it’s rare that these stories, with decades and decades of history, actually become the inspiration for mainstream movies and get the financial backing that comes with it. That’s the magic of Fire Island and places like it (Provincetown, Rehoboth Beach, Palm Springs, etc.) For decades, these queer enclaves in the United Stares have allowed LGBTQ people to let their guard down, and live their most enjoyable lives - sex, love, friendship, and everything in between - without worrying about acceptability. Those memories probably involve friends, handsome strangers, the beach, a sunrise, a hot tub, being sassed by the high school girls working at the Pines Pantry grocery store on their summer break, squealing laughter, and maybe some parts that they don’t totally remember.
There’s also a very strong possibility that both those nights are one and the same. One will be about the best night of their lives. If Goodrum is out here striving to be the person in the bodybuilding industry who is most obsessed with other people’s business, he has certainly succeeded.If you ask a gay man from New York City about Fire Island, chances are he will have at least two stories. There are many forums dedicated to bodybuilding gossip that have threads numbering in the hundreds of thousands sadly, Vince Goodrum has yet to make it to that level, since his channel has less than 800 subscribers and falsely claimed Nick Trigili was employed by Generation Iron. Gossip outlets circulate rumors and stir the pot as a way of driving up engagement and user-clicks without having to put in the effort to research, create, and edit a truly informative piece. Goodrum is certainly living up to his name as the signature troll of the bodybuilding and fitness community, though he’s hardly the first. It’s no surprise that with a quick search on google, you are able to find several pages and links. One of the biggest hunting grounds for them has turned out to be dating apps and webcams. While researching for this piece, we spoke with many people under anonymity who were surprised to see how many knew of bodybuilders having gay for pay sex pages online with other men but insisting they were straight. Bodybuilders for years have used alternate means to supplement their bodybuilding careers which at times can be costly with the diminishing sponsorship opportunities and the lack of prize money at shows. Muscle worshiping is prevalent amongst gay men, but it’s also widespread amongst the bodybuilding industry and those who find muscle and getting dominated by an individual arousing.
It’s not a secret that homosexual men have paid for sex with bodybuilders. There are also claims of many rich gay men sponsoring bodybuilding events and athletes. We’ve asked several prominent bodybuilders who have shared stories of selling old underwear, to doing muscle worshipping and even receiving offers for sex from males. Goodrum does bring into focus a growing concern in the bodybuilding industry, one that has been motivated by money for decades. That Goodrum would imply that he should not be hired or welcomed in the community because of his sexuality or what he chooses to do in his personal time is a dangerous suggestion. Commenters seemed to notice this, too, frequently pointing out in the mentions under the video that it was not really anyone’s business what Nick Trigili does in his personal time. YouTube is no stranger to obscene and demeaning videos, though Goodrum’s is exceptional for his total lack of relevancy. “I certainly wouldn’t hire him for my company, ever.” “Generation Iron is welcome to have him,” Vince Goodrum continues. “No person should ever do any sexual activities for money,” Vince Goodrum says. Goodrum later pivots from being obsessed with outing Nick Trigili to criticizing sex work and porn as institutions.