Let’s be clear upfront: monkeypox is very different from HIV/AIDS. We applaud the recent statement by UNAIDS denouncing the “racist” and “homophobic” coverage of monkeypox, but much more is needed as a lot is at stake here. Another who works for an NGO in Lebanon was unsure whether to even share news about the disease, for fear of adding to the already intense stigma experienced by gay people across the country. “If I get monkeypox, will everyone know I am gay?” asked one friend in the Gulf. Since new outbreaks of monkeypox started making headlines across the world, we have been receiving text messages non-stop.
