Defiant mayor calling out ‘white privileged people’ partying in Mexico doesn’t care if you think she’s ‘Queen of the Karens’
Bisexual mayor Christy Holstege hit out at those travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic. (Facebook)
Palm Springs mayor Christy Holstege was dogpiled with abuse after she called out gay men for travelling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to attend parties as coronavirus cases surged.
Many queer people have been horrified in recent weeks by the huge numbers of gay men travelling to resorts like Puerto Vallarta despite a surge in coronavirus cases.
Holstege, who is bisexual, made headlines when she slammed the “white privileged people” flocking to international resorts last week – and now, she has opened up about the shocking abuse she received on social media in the aftermath.
Writing on her Instagram Stories, Holstege said “circuit party guys” had responded to her criticism by commenting on her physical appearance in photos with her newborn baby.
She said she was also branded “Queen of the Karens” for criticising gay men who jeopardised the lives and safety of others by flouting coronavirus restrictions.
Christy Holstege hit back at those leaving abusive comments on her Instagram
Holstege wrote: “What do you have to say about defending your position that it’s OK to violate public health orders, travel to a poorer country that can’t afford to keep us out, risk the lives of people in Mexico, and selfishly party while people in our community are dying at home (and also while most of us are doing our part to stay home and make extreme personal sacrifices to do that for a year straight?)”
Christy Holstege said it was ‘unacceptable’ for gay men to party abroad.
Holstege’s comments come after many queer people – most of them cis white gay men – faced backlash on social media for travelling abroad to attend high-profile parties.
One of those high-profile “circuit parties” ended in disaster when the boat the party was taking place on capsized – but many have struggled to feel sorry for those on board.
In a post shared on her Instagram Stories last week, Holstege said it was “unacceptable” for people to be holding “massive parties during the height of the global pandemic”.
“It violates the state’s stay at home orders which prohibits non-essential travel, it’s dangerous that people attending will be coming back to our communities, especially considering our LGBTQ community is particularly at risk and traumatised from the HIV pandemic, and it’s especially problematic as [it’s] mostly white privileged people travelling to a lower income country and communities of colour that can’t afford to keep out infected tourists,” she wrote.
“I am hearing from tons of residents of Palm Springs who are extremely concerned about this.”
Holstege is just one LGBT+ person who has called out the gay men travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic. An anonymous Instagram account, called GaysOverCovid, has won acclaim from many queer people for exposing the gay men attending circuit parties through the pandemic.
