GaysOverCovid whistleblower is shaming gay men partying through the pandemic to save lives
A circuit party in Rio de Janeiro was attended by 2,000 shirtless, maskless men. (G1)
The whistleblower behind the GaysOverCovid Instagram account has said they are naming and shaming gay men partying abroad during the coronavirus pandemic because they want to save lives.
An estimated 1.8 million people have died worldwide from COVID-19 since the virus began its rapid spread across the world in late 2019 and early 2020 – but that has not stopped a group of largely white, muscular gay men from travelling abroad to attend large parties.
Much of the gay community has watched in horror in recent days as a number of high-profile “circuit parties” went ahead in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, with one, taking place aboard a boat, ending in disaster.
One anonymous queer person has taken it upon themselves to expose the gay men attending the potential super-spreader events. The GaysOverCovid Instagram account was originally set up in the summer of 2020 to highlight the large number of shirtless gay men flocking to large parties, ignoring the coronavirus pandemic in the process.
Now, the anonymous whistleblower has defended their actions in a stirring Instagram post in which they drew attention to the huge numbers of people who are sick and dying with COVID-19 across the world.
GaysOverCovid Instagram draws attention to coronavirus death rates.
The GaysOverCovid Instagram whistleblower shared a video from gay nurse practitioner James Simmons, who has been outspoken about his experience of working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic on social media.
In the video, Simmons lashed out at people who have gone out partying while he dedicates his time to trying to save people’s lives.
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“I’m so tired, seven days in a row, and I’m so exhausted, and I’m so over people dying and having to intubate, and we can’t intubate people because they’re too old, or there aren’t enough resources, or they’re not going to live, or intubating 33 year olds who end up dying on a ventilator anyway,” Simmons says in the shocking video, in which he is clad in full personal protective equipment (PPE).
He continued: “And then seeing all these people out partying for New Year’s Eve, or doing whatever, or kiki-ing, or saying this s**t isn’t real. I’m so over it, and I’m so tired. Stay home, I don’t even know how to say it, because we don’t have the resources to save you.”
Health experts have spoken up and out. Now the GaysOverCovid are too.
Sharing the chilling video, the GaysOverCovid Instagram account wrote: “We are all GaysOverCovid. We’re ALLLL sick and tired of it. But real people are sick, and tired, and DEAD. That’s what THIS page is about. It’s NOT, about YOU. It’s about US.”
They continued: “OUR actions, directly impact the health of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends.
“The Trump administration has failed us on so many levels. Health experts have spoken up and out. Now the GaysOverCovid are too. If the community conversation this page has sparked has made one person change their behaviour and stay home, we know a life somewhere has been saved.”
The GaysOverCovid Instagram account has launched something of a “gay civil war” within the LGBT+ community in recent days.
The account has drawn the ire of many gay men for shaming them for flouting coronavirus restrictions – however, many others within the queer community have celebrated the account for drawing attention to people accused of jeopardising the health of vulnerable people.
Many of those embroiled in the scandal have tried to have the account shut down, and GaysOverCovid was temporarily banned from Instagram on Monday following a wave of complaints.
Meanwhile, some of those whose images have been shared on the page have offered a $500 reward to anybody who can expose the identity of the GaysOverCovid curator.
