Monkeypox sure has some people riled up. As Twitchy reported, White House Covid Response Coordinator Ashish Jha addressed monkeypox Monday and stressed that it’s “really important” not to use this moment “to propagate homophobic or transphobic messaging.” That’s what’s really important. Science, you know.
But it gets dumber … way dumber. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, has written a letter to the World Health Organization asking it to change the name of monkeypox because of a growing concern “for the potentially devastating and stigmatizing effects that the messaging around the ‘monkeypox’ virus can have on these already vulnerable communities.”
Is he talking about the gay community? Not quite.
“NYC joins many public health experts and community leaders who have expressed their serious concern about continuing to exclusively use the term ‘monkeypox’ given the stigma it may engender, and the painful and racist history within which terminology like this is rooted for communities of color,” Vasan continues.
Look, it’s real:
We're calling on @WHO to act immediately to rename the “monkeypox” virus. We have a growing concern for the potentially stigmatizing effects that the messaging around the “monkeypox” virus can have on vulnerable communities. Read our letter: https://t.co/hC6L8o60TH pic.twitter.com/G8CQ9ueaMJ
— Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, MD, PhD (@NYCHealthCommr) July 26, 2022
Recommended
What vulnerable community do you think of when you hear monkeypox?
— 💞YaYa Shell💞 (@ShelleyCuz) July 26, 2022
Don’t you have better things to do like making sure there are enough vaccines available for New Yorkers?
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) July 26, 2022
🤡
— orph3us.eth (@gin_mv) July 26, 2022
— The Steele (@Q_Element) July 26, 2022
I propose orgypox
— Meme Gene (@pseudnonymus) July 26, 2022
Pridepox
— Civil Roar (@Civil_Roar_) July 26, 2022
Harambepox
— Jason 🏈🚀 (@Rocketman455) July 26, 2022
How about clownpox ?
— Anthony (@PotatoCommish) July 26, 2022
Who exactly do you think these vulnerable communities are? You’re the one saying it, so who is it?
— Matt Gentry (@mattygnotafed) July 26, 2022
This is what you're paid the big bucks for.
Wait.
No it isn't.
— Aldo (@AldoRFC55) July 26, 2022
One of my most favorite parody accounts. What'll they come up with next!
— Ouagadougou Pavarotti (@OuagadouPavarot) July 26, 2022
I admire the lack if embarrassment it took to tweet this.
— Spock (@SpockTheVulcan3) July 26, 2022
Are monkeys a vulnerable NYC community? 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/bZaEGVmGNI
— Douglas Karr (@douglaskarr) July 26, 2022
Thank you. I’ve seen several monkeys being teased about this and it needs to stop.
— ✌🏽🇺🇦🦖Hollaria Briden, Esq. (@HollyBriden) July 26, 2022
Do they think monkeys are upset that they have a virus named after them? How about chickenpox?
Related:
White House says it’s ‘really important’ that Americans not use monkeypox to propagate homophobic messaging https://t.co/TxF0yoijJG
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 25, 2022
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