Observation of Place of Worship: The Top of the Park [Final Revision]

In-Group Writing: Write about the gay community with an anthropologist's or

scientist's perspective, tone, and voice.

Their week begins on the sixth day of our week, what we call Friday. This is the beginning of
their two primary days of Sabbath. They worship at various altars of The Park Manor Hotel at
what is called “Happy Hour.”

Upon arriving, they ascend six flights of stairs to the most divine level, the seventh floor, the
level closest to Heaven. It is required custom that should anyone already be traveling along the
staircase path above and in front of you and they hear, through their “prey sense,” that someone
has joined their group aft, also in ascension on the stairs, they must – and they accomplish this
without fail – turn around to greet you with their eyes, some also offering a smile, others often
turning their heads away as quickly as they can, as if their heads were racing their eyes, their
eyes returning to their path of ascension, their destination being the highest, most divine level of
the establishment.

Fittingly, the cathedral of this floor is the open sky, out of doors, with fantastic, sweeping views
of the city and Creation all around. But what must be in the interest of self-restraint for the
pleasing, praising, and worship of their god of worship, they turn inwards, towards this place of
worship, and greet, not Creation, but those who have been created in the image of their lord –
Hot Young White Boyfriend.

Upon arrival, they first visually scan the room, as animal to prey, or, occasionally, vendor to
client. They visually scan the room and then pay worship at one of three various altars located
along this Holy floor, during these happy hours of worship.

At the altars, we see many gathered in long lines of fragmented communion, some engaged in
conversation, others in silent prey and prayer, awaiting their purchase of the blessed blood of
their lord, which appears, unimaginatively, to be the vodka tonic or, less frequently, the
“Cosmo.”

With their glass chalices in hand, and fully supplied with their worship beverage, they visit upon
each other the equivalent of the Catholic wish for our fellow man, “Peace be with you” – but this
is a point where one sees the complex (though some might say “simple”; others, “universal”) the
complex sexual political power structure within the gay male community….

With a keen eye, one can see furtive, desirous glances darting to and fro from all the congregants
within this church. This behaviour is colloquially described as “cruising.” While, as in The
Staircases of the Path of Ascencsion, some heads and watchful eyes may race away, some
alliances are indeed made, often between two congregants whose similarity of appearance to
each other, and to their lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend. It is theorized by this observer that
this may doubly strengthen their worship for their lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend.

There are, though, to be sure, other alliances that are made as well, but it is to be noted that those
who bear greater physical difference from the image of their Lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend,
i.e., less “hot, young,” et cetera..., whether from color of hide and leanness vs. sponginess of
form and frame – those who bear greater difference (therefore lesser ranking) seem to greet those
who bear greatest similarity with their lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend with a greeting that
bears striking, strange, ironic resemblance to the aforementioned greeting, “Peace be with you” –
but seems to say, contrarily, in passive prayer – “Please be with me.”

There are, though, whole groups of those who bear lesser resemblance to the iconic image of
young, athletic, and white, looking, as previously stated, lesser in form, frame, jaw line and/or
age. Often, they are also adorned only in lay vestments, referred to, with an interesting tone as it
is spoken, as a “lesser branding of clothing.”

But it is to be noted, that nearly all members of the lesser ranking groupings – nearly each
member – seem to, themselves, most frequently visually admire or exalt that iconic image of
young, athletic, and white, almost as if in meditative chant:

“Ooh, gurl, I would do him in a minute!

Dear Lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend – hear our prayer.”
“Gurl, I wouldn’t kick him outta bed!
Dear Lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend – hear our prayer.”
“Shit – I would kick him outta bed! But only so he could fuck me on the floor.
Dear Lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend – hear our prayer.”
“Back off, bitches…! He’s mine.
Dear Lord, Hot Young White Boyfriend – hear our prayer.”

Those congregants who receive the most admiration gather themselves in allied pairings and
groupings, though occasionally include those created in lesser image of their lord, Hot Young
White Boyfriend.

It has been interesting to note, though, that the various groupings and prides (as in a lion’s pride)
have seem to have shifted since over the course of this observer’s over twenty years of study.
While there are clear core alliances and patterns of movement amongst this intriguing species’
members, a slight evolution seems to have been occurring.

And so, I look forward to further spending many, many more years observing these movements
and behaviours, intriguing as this species, their worship, and their movements are.

And, of note, since Will, and Grace, is no longer on the air….