Thus, Fire Island finds itself drifting into conversations about class and race. But I didn't want to shy away from the more toxic aspects of what you can experience if you don't go with the right people,” he explains. Booster found his inspiration in this dichotomy: “I wanted to honor the island and the people there. The phrase “Fire Island” has always conjured up an image of fair-skinned, chiseled, All-American Adonises, despite the existence of many other types of queer people on the island’s fringes.
Fire Island has functioned as a safe haven for queer people since the mid-1900s, but it also has a troubling reputation for only welcoming a specific type of gay man - one who is white, cisgender, financially comfortable, and more often than not, extremely fit. While Fire Island is, indeed, an ode to its namesake, Booster’s interest in framing a film around this particular islet went deeper than clothing-optional beaches and underwear parties at the Ice Palace. These moments are, of course, deliberate.
But I didn't want to shy away from the more toxic aspects of what you can experience if you don't go with the right people.” “I wanted to honor the island and the people there.
