Some stations are suited for a good time-well kept, sanitary, and run smoothly, with scheduled appointments and all, like the one Jonah found. He usually finds his glory holes through an online directory. Van, another man who has used glory holes and continues to during the pandemic, first advised potential patrons that all holes aren’t created equal. Still, some longtime glory hole patrons saw some irony in the moment. “We adapted some of the guidance to fit the current COVID-19 public health emergency.” “We are a sex-positive health department,” he said, noting that the city’s guidelines were inspired by manuals for safer sex from the initial AIDS crisis, like How to Have Sex in an Epidemic. If the role of public health agencies in this reemergence seems odd, Lanza, the New York City health spokesman, doesn’t think so. At Rich’s station, he said, “business” initially slowed down as the lockdown began, but he’s seen an uptick himself in recent weeks.
