Hi divas,
It’s Mo aka DJ Gay Panic, and this(!) is The Deviant Dispatch. I’m blogging from my corner of the NYC underground to bring you subcultural musings, scene updates, and queer shit. There will be typos.
In gagworthy1 news, Double Scorpio has been shut down by the FDA. The poppers brand has been known for their immaculate sense of humor and hip aesthetic for almost a decade. That all ended on Thursday when they shared the following statement via their website:
If you’re not a gay man or don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s some background tea. “Poppers” refers to a variety of liquid chemicals, typically amyl nitrate, which people huff recreationally for enhanced sexual arousal and temporary relaxation. They’re widely available in adult novelty stores and smoke shops under the guise of being VHS cleaner. However, their use is not approved in any way by the FDA and using them as a drug is illegal. In the past, this was sort of like how jaywalking is illegal: a law that no one enforced because who the fuck cares?
Now, the anti-poppers people2 have entered the chat government. Fast Company spoke to two merchants anonymously who confirmed Double Scorpio’s belief that these companies are being targeted by the Trump administration, which I take to mean RFK Jr. The current head of Department of Health and Human Services (which runs the FDA) wrote in his 2021 book that he believes that poppers cause AIDS. Yes … the man who says there was a worm in his brain thinks the reason we have AIDS is sniffing poppers.
Mr. Worm also shared some thoughts on the water supply in the same book. You may have heard about this school of thought paranoia via this meme:
This moment was funny but now that our HHS head believes the same, I’m not laughing anymore. What else will these men outlaw? I am going to be sooooo annoyed if I have to boil my drinking water because RFK Jr. tried to curb homosexuality. Gay people don’t even drink water unless there’s vodka in it!!!
Unfortunately for poppers fans, this crackdown seems to be a industry-wide. Pac-West Distributing (PWD), one of the producers of Rush, has replaced its website with a single graphic. It also shut down its phone number. Nitro-Solv, an online poppers retailer that advertised on PWD’s site, has also since shut down.
Stay tuned to other misguided moves from Mr. Worm, the man who admitted “I have cognitive problems, clearly,” in a 2012 deposition. I’ve never trusted anyone who claims to be interested in my health LESS.
If you’re in Brooklyn and want to commiserate over this loss, head to Inferno this Saturday. You can peep the flyer below, or head to the Inferno substack.
there’s no gag like a gag order from the government. The FDA said shut up AND sit down
say anti poppers people 10 times fast