New York City, 1980s

The entirety of My Government Means to Kill Me is set in New York City during the 1980s. At the outset of the narrative, Gregory introduces Trey to the gay scene in New York. The metropolis city hosted a wealth of gay clubs, bars, and salons that flaunted the city’s ban on serving alcohol to LGBTQ individuals. While gay culture thrived in clandestine corners of the city, the larger culture continued to condemn and vilify the LGBTQ community. However, during the 1980s, New York City based organizations staged protests and demonstrations to implore the government to ensure equal rights regardless of sexual orientation.

Mt. Morris

Mt. Morris Baths is the bathhouse that Trey frequents throughout the novel. While the New York Department of Health closed the other baths in a limp effort to stem the spread of AIDS, Mt. Morris was allowed to remain...