With so-called Pride festivities set to kick off in three days, the LGBTQ3.14… community in Boston has been confronted with a turd in their punchbowl, in the form of an outbreak of the monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox (or mpox, as racist people who can’t help themselves from associating monkeys with certain minorities call it) causes symptoms that include “a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes,” the World Health Organization informs us.
WHO warns that monkeypox can spread:
from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin (such as touching or sex) and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing), and it can also include being face-to-face with someone who has mpox (such as talking or breathing close to one another, which can generate infectious respiratory particles).
People with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk of acquiring mpox.
People can also contract mpox from contaminated objects such as clothing or linen, through needle injuries in health care, or in community settings such as tattoo parlours.
But don’t panic: Here in the first world, it’s pretty much spread through sexual contact in the gay male community. Hence, the aforementioned damper on some of the upcoming “Pride” festivities.
And look, I’m not here to bash the gay community. But I am more than happy to judge behavior, including promiscuity, gay or otherwise. There is no birth control or prophylactic yet in existence that is 100% effective, even when used perfectly. Even if there were, it wouldn’t address the emotional damage such behavior can cause. Be as gay as you like, but comport yourself with dignity and restraint, and you will avoid many problems in life — monkeypox among them.
At any rate, in Boston, the celebrations are still on, with the new-this-year addition of vaccines on offer at the “Pride” flag-raising ceremony at town hall on June 1.
The City of Boston released a statement to address the situation:
Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and partners at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health are monitoring an uptick in mpox cases in Boston and are encouraging at-risk individuals to get vaccinated. There is no widespread public health threat from mpox at this time, but at-risk residents, including gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men are encouraged to protect themselves and their communities by getting vaccinated. The mpox vaccine is two doses given 28 days apart. It is extremely effective in preventing severe illness from mpox and is the best tool to stop the spread of disease. […]
This year, BPHC and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement (MOLA) are partnering together to offer mpox vaccinations at the Pride flag raising at City Hall on June 1, 2026 on the 3rd Floor Mezzanine from 1:00-4:00pm. Additional clinics will be hosted with City partners throughout the summer; dates will be available at boston.gov/vaccine as they are scheduled.
“The best way individuals can protect themselves from mpox is by getting vaccinated and avoiding physical and sexual contact with anyone who has a new rash or sores,” said Boston Commissioner of Public Health Dr. Bisola Ojikutu. Or just skip the vaccine altogether and keep it in your pants. Why is “Pride” the only cultural event that is celebrated with orgies among the parades and ceremonies? Maybe that’s not the best idea. Just sayin’.
Recommended: You Love to See It: DOJ Digs Into E. Jean Carroll’s Possible Perjury
