NBC News shines a spotlight on the gay men and queer people who are suffering because monkeypox has ruined their summer sex party plans

The COVID pandemic was bad, but at least it was an equal-opportunity virus (although, notably, kids seemed to fare better than any other demographic). The monkeypox outbreak, though … it’s actually worse than COVID if you stop and think about it. Because it’s straight-up homophobic, as science reporter Benjamin Ryan recently explained in a piece for NBC News:

For this @NBCNews @NBCOUT #monkeypox feature, I wanted to look past the epidemiology, politics and furor over vaccines, and to ask gay men and other queer people how the outbreak has impacted their happiness and well-being. Here are their stories:https://t.co/ySLZINwaJZ

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) September 2, 2022

“Here are their stories.” Dun-dun!

Spoiler alert: Their stories are that monkeypox totally ruined their plans for a sexy, sex-filled summer:

“I’ve stopped going to sex parties,” he said… “I also stopped having sex with people who live off their OnlyFans. I additionally stopped cruising at the gym, I did not continue to go to Fire Island, and I stopped attending orgies.”

Tragic

https://t.co/ZKCNueh4XK via @nbcnews

— ColoradoAlexReborn (@ColoradoAlexCon) September 7, 2022

Truly, how can we ever know the depths of suffering of a man who can't have random, anonymous sex at will without fear of contacting some disease?

— ColoradoAlexReborn (@ColoradoAlexCon) September 7, 2022

Remember when kids were kept inside for almost two years because Anthony Fauci liked being his balls licked by the press, and liberal parents listened to him? That was nothing compared to having to cancel your weekend trip to Fire Island.

— ColoradoAlexReborn (@ColoradoAlexCon) September 7, 2022

Pour one out for the orgy enthusiasts who have had to temper their expectations this year:

For many gay and bisexual men, the sprawling and chaotic monkeypox outbreak has upended a summer that was supposed to be a well-earned opportunity — following the peak of the Covid crisis — to finally have some fun and revel with their gay brothers without the threat of viral infection hanging over them.

…

Lost amid the frantic media and public health reports about monkeypox epidemiology, the delayed vaccine deliveries and the squabbling over how best to communicate about the virus are the millions of GBTQ people whose happiness, well-being and connection to one another have in many cases been considerably compromised by the mere threat of monkeypox infection.

Honest question from us: if monkeypox weren’t an issue, wouldn’t the threat of viral infection from other viruses still hang over people who willingly engage in high-risk sexual behavior for fun? Like, have none of these people heard of STDs? HIV? Last time we checked, having to stay away from sex parties was still preferable to contracting a painful and potentially serious disease. But we’re old-fashioned that way.

Let’s highlight a few notable paragraphs from NBC’s “the tragedy of the lost gay orgy” article, shall we?

First off, this summer was supposed to be a “well earned”, no-holds-barred f**k fest for gay men”

“Well earned opportunity”https://t.co/kxGqIpl3P4 pic.twitter.com/gsix10zxt5

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

Dr. Alex Keuroghlian of the Fenway Institute in Boston claims that the interruption of the all-you-can-f**k buffet has “been extremely distressing” for the gay community, and has a “chilling effect on people sense of community, cohesion, and belonging”

I’m sorry, what? pic.twitter.com/QsBlXdMPSI

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

This part presented without comment pic.twitter.com/uStCWafu6C

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

File under: Things You Should Always Be Doing Whether There’s a Viral Disease Out There or Not.

Michael, 42, who *works in education in Philadelphia*, is very upset with the loss of the gay sex orgy freedoms.

He says “I am not changing my behavior with an attitude of cheerful, take-one-for-the-team compliance” pic.twitter.com/RfJUNC1Yzu

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

Tough break, Michael. You too, J.J.:

J.J. Ryan, a “bisexual trans man assigned female at birth” who “spent the height of the covid pandemic transitioning”, was stoked about getting out there for “hot boy summer” and getting it in.

But JJ’s sexual exploration has been sharply reduced.

Real bummer, J.J. pic.twitter.com/DOp8NAAchC

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

Is this real life?

Here’s a revealing one. A psychologist at Yale is upset that the narrative used to secure gay rights is being disrupted by the particulars of casual gay sex orgies.

Also, that gay sex orgies are just a way to express your sexuality more “creatively” or “authentically” pic.twitter.com/e2d4OyUgLZ

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

“Gays are just like everyone else”

“Frequent anonymous group sex is a normal, integral, and important part of being gay”

You see the problem here? Bc the Yale professor sees the problem

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

Gay people — the entire GBTQ community really — shouldn’t be listening to “experts” like John Pachankis. They should be listening to their gut, which is probably telling them to, as a general rule, not go to orgies.

My God. This is an actual NBC news article MOURNING the loss of gay orgies.

I just don’t know where we go from here guys. https://t.co/czeC99UUva

— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) September 7, 2022

How about hell in a hand basket?