Gabrielle Antolovich, board president of the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center in San Jose, said monkeypox is not a gay disease. San Jose Spotlight photo by Lorraine Gabbert.

The Silicon Valley LGBTQ+ community is livid another virus is being referred to as a gay disease.

Concerned about stigmatization, local LGBTQ+ leaders are reacting to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent declaration of monkeypox as a global emergency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 98 percent of cases are among gay men. Although anyone can get infected, he targeted gay and bisexual men in suggesting steps to stop transmission, such as reducing the number of sexual partners.

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