For LGBTQ people in New York, the last Friday in June is usually a happy day. The streets come alive with the telltale signs of a festive weekend: music, dancing, kissing, occasional traces of glittering confetti.
But this year, on the eve of the biggest Pride events in the city, the atmosphere had a different charge. News on Friday morning of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Rowe against Wade immediately changed the nature of the events over the weekend. In many circles, group chats, which a few days ago focused on party planning, have shifted to coordinating protest plans. Further complicating people’s attitudes over the weekend are the issues and concerns associated with monkeypox, a virus that disproportionately affects gay men.
On Thursday, New York City health officials expanded access to the monkey measles vaccine by offering it to men who have had multiple or anonymous male sexual partners in the past 14 days. As of Friday, 39 people in New York had tested positive for orthopoxvirus, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which added that all 39 cases were considered monkeypox.
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox is transmitted from person to person through close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. The virus usually begins with flu-like symptoms, such as fever and swollen lymph nodes, and progresses to a painful rash.
Although anyone can become infected with the virus, it is currently spread mainly through communities of men who have sex with men, officials said.
As photos of long queues of people waiting to be vaccinated at a sex clinic in Manhattan spread on social media, and as news of the monkeypox case spread around the world, some New Yorkers began to reconsider their plans for the weekend. Pride.
Joseph Osmundson, a clinical assistant professor of biology at New York University and an advocate for strange health care, said growing concern about monkeypox had affected Pride’s plans for “almost everyone” he knew.
“All of this, if you go to a round party, will you be in the middle of the dance floor or will you be on the sidelines, next to the types of sex you have,” Dr. Osmundson, 39, said in a telephone interview.
He said he believes people usually “make risk-based decisions” while leaving room for “socializing, enjoyment, community and getting out of the house.”
Finley King, a 24-year-old filmmaker, said that both fears of monkeypox and news from Rowe had affected his plans for the weekend, but that he would be relatively comfortable attending a protest and staying away. or go to an outdoor party.
“I’m 4 out of 10 on the panic scale in terms of anxiety,” he said, adding that he had not seen many of his friends discuss the disease. “I would say that mostly people my age either know about monkeypox and don’t care, or they don’t know about it at all.
Rusty Fox, 59, told the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on Friday that the little concern he had about monkeypox was probably just residual anxiety from the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m a little paranoid just because we’re right behind Covid,” he said. “So this paranoia is somehow penetrating.”
Michael Donnelly, a data specialist, expressed disappointment that this year’s Pride celebrations were stained by another virus.
“It really stinks that we have to deal with another infectious disease that is spreading in our community and we have to deal with an additional risk that we did not anticipate,” he said. But for Mr. Donnelly, 37, the “huge demand” for the monkey measles vaccine on Thursday pointed to silver.
“I am proud to have a community that communicates about our health, about science, and is ready to receive vaccines to protect ourselves and our communities,” he said.
What you need to know about the monkeypox virus
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What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a virus endemic to parts of Central and West Africa. It is similar to smallpox, but less severe. It was discovered in 1958 after outbreaks in monkeys kept for testing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms? Monkeypox creates a rash that begins with flat red spots that rise and fill with pus. Infected people can also have fever and body aches. Symptoms usually appear within six to 13 days, but it can take up to three weeks after exposure for them to appear and can last for two to four weeks. Health officials say smallpox vaccines and other treatments can be used to control the outbreak.
How contagious is it? The virus is spread mainly through body fluids, skin contact and respiratory droplets, although some experts suggest that it can sometimes be transmitted through the air. This does not usually lead to large outbreaks, although it has spread in unusual ways this year and among populations that have not been vulnerable in the past.
Should I be worried? The virus is likely to spread during sexual intercourse, but the risk of transmission in other ways is low. Most people have mild symptoms and recover within weeks, but the virus can be fatal in a small percentage of cases. Studies also show that older people may have some protection against decades of smallpox vaccinations.
This month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines to reduce the likelihood of contracting monkeypox, noting that festivals, concerts and other events where visitors are likely to be fully clothed are safer than venues, including raves. , saunas and sex clubs, where minimal clothing is worn.
Some, like 26-year-old Chris Pierce, felt confident that their personal precautions were sufficient.
“It’s definitely something people have to worry about, especially when we’re behind closed doors and walls,” he said, “but staying outside is probably my No. 1 goal this weekend.”
The only facility in New York to administer the vaccine, the Chelsea City Sexual Health Clinic in Manhattan, was due to start repelling people almost immediately after the vaccination of eligible New Yorkers began on Thursday.
As for his plans this weekend, Mr Donnelly said he was “one of the few lucky ones to have been vaccinated and therefore feel a certain amount of extra security as a result”.
Jonathan Valdes, 36, a content creator and podcast host, said it was the first time a friend of his had told him he was glad he missed the New York City Pride, citing concerns about monkeypox. “A lot of people are afraid that after this weekend,” Mr Valdes said, “the numbers will go up a lot.”
Jeremy Allen contributed to the report.
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