Joining me in the effort will be my publisher, Darin Slyman. DSly’s been puffing away for over 20-years as well and we’ll each quit on Jan. 1 using different cessation techniques. You can follow our progress in the coming months right here online.
Recent studies have confirmed what most in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have known for some time: LGBT people are more likely to use tobacco. Specifically, gay men are nearly two and a half times more likely to smoke than straight men. Lesbians are twice as likely compared to straight women, and our bisexual brothers and sisters appear to have the highest risk of all.
The reasons for this are myriad: The bar culture plays a big role as do coming out and family stressors. Many fall victim to the pressures of body image and smoke to stay thin. And then there are the aggressive marketing techniques by tobacco companies aimed squarely at our tribe.
Now for me, personally—I blame Bette Davis. That’s right—she and her fellow sirens of the silver screen just looked too damned glamorous with their “fags” in hand. And who doesn’t want to be a bit of a hell cat?
When I came out my only experience with tobacco had been with older relatives and the time my cousins and I lifted my grandfather’s pack of Winstons and made ourselves sick, much to his delight. But when I started going out to “the bars” at 18, it seemed that everyone smoked. The entertainers, the patrons and bartenders all brandished a brand of choice and seemed so polished and oddly alluring. Accordingly, I started smoking to fit in and as an affectation.
When my parents discovered my dirty little secret (the cigarettes—they were fine with my sexuality) they hit the roof.
“I don’t inhale,” I protested—two years before Bill Clinton even thought of the line. “So I can’t possibly get addicted.”
Boy was that an ill-conceived notion.
So alas—we’re quitting the habit. We do so for our health and for the health of our community. We quit to feel better and yes, to look better. And on a personal note—as unapologetic as a smoker as I’ve been—I can no longer ignore the statistics of second hand smoke. It’s simply time to quit.
DSly and I both will be going cold turkey in the New Year. The patch is there if we need it, but I’ll be going the auricular route at Easy Way Auricular Therapy and DSly will try to be “glamoured” at Carole Ewald Hypnosis. Both are popular treatments used by former smokers and we’re excited to partner with both companies.
Our quitting coincides with the new non-smoking ordinances going into effect in both St. Louis City and County, Jan. 2. The new laws prohibit smoking in all indoor workplaces and public places including restaurants and bars. A limited amount of exemptions are made in the Code for establishments that meet the criteria.
It remains to be seen which of our LGBT haunts will be going non-smoking, given the exemptions. Many will qualify based on the fact that they don’t sell food—but within 5-years all bets are off—both City and County will be smoke free, bars included.
I’m not going to lie and say that I didn’t enjoy smoking. I did. But somewhere in this city a kid is telling his parents—“I don’t inhale, I can’t get addicted”—and then they’ll be hooked. It is my sincere hope that we can stop the next generation of LGBTers from ever picking up the habit.
So as we prepare to take one last drag on New Year’s Eve, we do so with the knowledge that we owe it to ourselves, to our loved ones and to our community to see this through. For both of us are fairly public people. I’d like to continue to hold my head up high—I just can’t do that any longer with a cigarette in my hand.
BY: COLIN MURPHY - SENIOR WRITER
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