Europe: A expert in Belgium took to social media to make it clear that the monkeypox virus does not discriminate against specific population groups, following homophobic reactions to the fact that the first case in the nation was detected in gay men.
From the time it has emerged, the first infections with the monkeypox virus in Belgium can be traced back to Darklands, a fetish festival primarily frequented by gay men. Social media are being flooded with homophobic comments and insults to the LGBTQ community.
These comments sparked the outrage of Piet Hoebeke, Urology Professor and the Dean of the Medicine and Health Sciences Faculty at the University of Ghent, who pointed out that there is no scientific reason to assume that the transmission of the virus is much more among gay men.
Moreover, he mentioned on Twitter, “It is incredible how a virus that is spread through skin contact and that happened to be detected in some gay men is cause for homophobia and derogatory reproaches right away. We are the new bats, apparently. Dumbasses, viruses do not discriminate.”
Onwaarschijnlijk hoe een virus dat zich via huidcontact verspreidt en dat toevallig bij enkele homomannen werd vastgesteld onmiddellijk aanleiding is voor homofobie en denigrerende verwijten. Wij zijn de nieuwe vleermuizen blijkbaar. Dommeriken, virussen discrimineren niet 🏳️🌈😡 https://t.co/dxuVlZKgcb
— Piet Hoebeke (@HoebekePiet) May 20, 2022
Hoebeke further said it is too far, and very less information is collected to draw any solid conclusions at this point.
He shared the information that “There are just too few cases, there is no epidemiological study. But society likes to look for a scapegoat. People now read the words ‘gay’ and ‘virus’ and assume that anal sex has something to do with it. But that is not science, and it is a bunch of prejudices lumped together.”
Along with this, it is based on what is known about the virus, it People now read the words ‘gay’ and ‘virus’ and assume that anal sex has something to do with it. But that is not science, and it is a bunch of prejudices lumped together.
