There has been a seemingly endless flow of online discourse surrounding cis gay male privilege following the GaysOverCovid exposé. The Instagram account has been sharing photos and videos of gay men who have defied COVID restrictions.
One gay man has called the actions of those who attended New Years Eve parties in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as “classist, ableist and racist”.
Model and life coach Barrett Pall shared his thoughts in a video shared on Instagram where he directly addresses the men who travelled to Mexico.
Pall talks about the current pandemic and how there are no available beds in ICU in San Diego drawing attention to the worsening situation in Los Angeles where COVID-19 cases are spiking.
“This is what the actions of a select group of people, gay and straight, have caused in the world,” he said.
“Your actions hold weight, and so while I’m not here to shame you, I’m here to show you what you have done.”
Addressing white gay cis male privilege, Pall said that the GaysOverCovid account “didn’t make you do what you did. They are holding up a very uncomfortable mirror to many people’s poor judgements.”
He continued: “You are actually causing physical problems in this world to other people because of your actions if you are choosing to travel during the pandemic, point blank, period.
“Now, if you’re choosing to travel and then go to a circuit party, you’re literally saying ‘I don’t give a f**k’, and your privilege is out of control. As someone who exists in the same space as a lot of you white gay cis men, I’m here to show you that your privilege is not untouchable.
“This is classist, this is ableist, this is racist. And it’s not f**king cool. And I am trying my best to be as mindful and kind in my messages because we need to have you listen without getting defensive, but for anyone at this point who is defending their actions for going to circuit parties or big parties in general during New Year’s Eve, we’ve lost you.”
Pall highlighted the situation which is worsening for many countries across the globe and said that those who chose to travel across the world were “disappointing” adding that he must also hold himself accountable for not adhering to restrictions in the past.
He asked that queer men who have not been adhering to safety measures hold themselves accountable for their actions saying that and change their behaviours to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
He added: “We all have quarantine fatigue. I am over this, I want to go and travel, that was a huge part of my career. I want to go and have sex and not be worried about it also. We’re all in this boat together guys.”
Appealing to those who have broken restrictions, he calls for unity.
“We think we’re close to the end, but we’re progressing this the more that we do this. And I hope that my words land and I hope that you hear me, and I hope that you understand that this is not me shaming you, this is me pleading with you to just stop.”
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