First, the shaming that they employ as a method of curbing dangerous behavior and reducing transmission, the account admin’s intent as stated to Lorenz, has been widely critiqued by public-health officials time and time again. While GaysOverCOVID and its affiliates are most definitely influencing the behavior of many people, particularly gay men, it’s important that we critically evaluate exactly what the impact might be.īecause of this, we should be wary of GaysOverCOVID, and accounts like it, for a couple of reasons. What has felt absent from the conversation swirling around GaysOverCOVID in the past few months are the potential public-health implications of an anonymously run Instagram account with the ability to reach tens of thousands of people with each post that has taken a hardline stance on complex topics. But questions around methodology and unintended outcomes remain. “I just want people to stay home, and if we can save one life, then I feel good, and we-the community that’s submitting content-have done a good deed.” A noble intention, no doubt. In the only interview that he’s given, GaysOverCOVID’s administrator laid out his intentions for the account to reporter Taylor Lorenz. GaysOverCOVID now boasts over 130,000 followers, a remarkable feat for an account less than a year old. In this corner, they’ve done what social media accounts, as least those based on going viral, do: work to grow their following. Together, these accounts have built their own little shame-fueled social media corner where they’ve anointed themselves both moral and public-health authorities. In that time, GaysOverCOVID has beefed up its brand, cross-posting and amplifying with other meme accounts with large followings, like The LA Basics and OverheardAtAGayBar-and at least one self-aggrandizing “life coach” with a penchant for slut-shaming. Others have opined on larger and stickier issues influencing the conversation, like race, class, and body image. Much of this conversation has revolved around the ethics of both those running the account (and others like it)-who are accused of public shaming-and those featured on it-who are accused of wild and selfish displays of privilege that put other people at risk. Since its inception, GaysOverCOVID has garnered its fair share of attention and spurred more than a few hot takes. The account highlights men for flouting social-distancing guidelines, attending large events, or traveling frequently.
![like this image if you are gay meme like this image if you are gay meme](https://cdn.acidcow.com/pics/20190322/horror_movie_memes_20.jpg)
![like this image if you are gay meme like this image if you are gay meme](https://amazinganimalphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/new-memes-19.jpg)
Lately, these posts have dominated the online discourse for the gay community, thanks in no small part to the now-infamous Instagram account GaysOverCOVID, which has been posting documentation of gay men who are “over” COVID since summer 2020.