COVID-19 Kills NYC ‘Sex House’ Orgies

Meet the members of the Hacienda sex club: (from far left) Meghan, Beth Sparksfire, Andrew Sparksfire, Ben, Violet, Kenneth Play, Karen and Rene. All the individuals pictured, except for Beth and Andrew, live in the club's party-hosting houses. Much like many of us suffering from COVID-19 fatigue and over 10 months of social distancing, the residents of Brooklyn’s communal “sex houses” are frustrated. “I’d give my left testicle to go to an orgy,” said Kenneth Play, who is one of the co-founder of Hacienda Villa. Play is one of the 30 residents, ranging in age from 20-45, who live in one the three Bushwick houses (the Lodge, Villa and Tower) which are operated by the Hacienda sex club. But the club is much bigger than that and more than its 700 members, live outside of the communal housing. Before the pandemic, the roommates (who have their own bedrooms but share a kitchen, living room and bathrooms) hosted bacchanals at the Villa once or twice a month. This allowed for fun and casual flirting, a chance to soak in the nude in the backyard hot tub or descend for a chance to make their way to the mood-lit basement to get it on.

Sexy Party Zone

In 2019, and before any of us even could imagine what 2020 would bring, the club hosted 19 “play parties,” AKA orgies, and 45 other various sexy events. In 2020, they only got to have five events before the pandemic hit. “Sexual isolation was difficult to grapple with,” said Violet, a resident and party planner. “We couldn’t meet new people or feel desired the same, so there was definitely an upsurge in my own self-pleasure routine.” Maybe no one suffered more than Play: “In 2019 I had about 100 lovers. But for 2020 the number’s more like five.” Each of the three houses has its own rules regarding sex and communal conduct. Sex among roommates, for instance, is not allowed in the Villa. Memebers of the Lodge house have different rules. “We have no such rule at the Lodge,” explained Play’s physician fiancé, Karen, who lives in the Lodge. But despite different rules for different houses, the pandemic still caused tension within the community. Karen, for instance, is an emergency room doctor. As such, early in the pandemic, and since New York City was hit the hardest in the beginning, some Villa roommates were uncomfortable with her visiting the Villa, that she temporarily moved out of the Villa. (Her Lodge roommates apparently had no such qualms about safety, however.)

All Walks of Life

The residents of the three homes work in various fields including real estate, finance, marketing, the arts, medicine and plumbing supplies had trouble figuring out the new normal. At the beginning of the pandemic, they bickered over whether or not to isolate in their own rooms and if masks should be worn at all times. To help ease the tension and to make everyone feel safe, roommates moved around to different floors based on their “risk tolerance.” Two of the house residents had decided to move out completely due to safety concerns. “It wasn’t so much that there was bad blood. It was more we couldn’t find a happy medium,” said Beth Sparksfire, who is the club’s director of events and membership and is married to Andrew Sparksfire, Hacienda’s co-founder. Part of their established rules was that guests are still allowed, for sex or otherwise, but roommates are expected to be respectful of each other’s safety. But when it came to quarantining, Play new it was not going to be an easy sell to proponents of free love. “If you have a group of people who are social butterflies and into casual sex, it’s especially hard to lock down,” he said.

Creative Solution for Difficult Times

What do other polyamorous individuals do to get their kink on during these times? Sources in the polyamory world told The Post that some have been getting their kink-on elsewhere, and choose to venture out to resorts in Mexico, which have looser restriction on gatherings. “Tulum’s less strict,” one swinger said. “It’s more like Florida.” Others in the community have stayed State side and made their way to upstate New York. After getting tested and receiving a negative COVID test, about two dozen fun seekers rented an Airbnb in the Catskills. “The last year has been so isolating and I’ve missed the human touch,” one of the players said. “Thankfully that weekend I got touched, a lot.” What does the group forsee for this upcoming year? With vaccines on the horizon, members are getting a glimpse of a brighter future. “We’re looking forward to getting back to normal,” Andrew said. “Our normal,” Beth explained, “with lots of close proximity between gyrating, naked bodies . . .” “. . . the bodies of strangers!” ¬Karen added. *Image Source: nypost.com*