‘It’s not gaypox’: EFF slams homophobic comments about monkeypox

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) slammed what it referred to as homophobic and dangerous rhetoric being spread – ‘gaypox’ – amid the most recent Monkeypox outbreak.

The controversial talking point is that monkeypox spreads through sexual relations between men.

Monkeypox in South Africa

First recorded case

Health Minister Joe Phaahla on Thursday informed South Africans that the country had recorded its first case of Monkeypox.

The patient is a 30-year-old man from Johannesburg who has no travel history, meaning that this cannot be attributed to having been acquired outside South Africa.

ALSO READ: South Africa records its first case of Monkeypox

Monkeypox has historically been contracted through animals and is spread through close bodily contact, exchange of fluids, or contact with any items which come into contact with an infected person.

However, netizens are now referring to monkeypox as ‘gaypox’.

No, it’s not ‘gaypox’

News of SA’s first official case has now been clouded by dangerous, hurtful and discriminatory commentary, attributing the spread of the disease to the sexual relations between men.

“This harmful and baseless messaging [gaypox, among other messages] is reminiscent of the early stages of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and is not based on any scientific or logical argument”, the EFF said.

“The Monkeypox disease can be contracted by anyone, and any attempt to blame homosexual men for the spread of Monkeypox is pseudo-science which is rooted in hate.”

“We must all desist from targeting vulnerable communities and creating stigma.

“We must desist from returning to the dark periods where diseases are attributed to the LGBTQI-community, as a means of reinforcing bigotry, hatred and discrimination,” the red berets added.

‘Calm and responsible’ response

The Economic Freedom Fighters reaffirmed the stance of the National Institute For Communicable Diseases (NICD) which calls for calm and responsible messaging around the disease.

“We call on the government to manage the spread of this disease responsibly, strategically and swiftly, and learn from the clumsiness and corruption they displayed during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Phaahla said the NICD is conducting online in service training for health workers for them to be able to detect the disease so that the necessary laboratory tests can be done.

ALSO READ: South Korea reports first imported case of monkeypox