As monkeypox cases rise in Hamilton, councillors caution against stigmatizing gay and bisexual men

Two Hamilton city councillors cautioned local public health officials about how they present new monkeypox data, saying it could stigmatize gay and bisexual men.

During a board of health meeting earlier this week, public health officials revealed 10 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Hamilton. The first case was revealed early last month.

For context, the Public Health Agency of Canada has reported 1,008 cases of monkeypox country-wide. Of those, 478 have been in Ontario. 

Jordan Walker, Hamilton's acting director of epidemiology, wellness and communicable disease control, said all 10 cases reported in the city were among men and the average age of those infected was 36.

"The most common risk factors reported from cases to date include multiple sex contacts in the last six months, sex with the same sex, a new sex contact in the last two months and anonymous sex," Walker said.

Ward 1 Coun. Maureen Wilson and Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann both had concerns with how the data was presented at the meeting on Aug. 10.

Nann said she felt "uncomfortable" with public health's presentation.

"I know that there's been a lot of expressed concern in the community and globally right now about an overemphasis on the spread of monkeypox being placed into a sexualized context," she said.

"Anybody is susceptible to it should they be in close physical contact with somebody who is infected."

Wilson said the framing of the message on monkeypox "could possibly put at risk the LGBTQ community moving forward," and said "that is exactly what happened in the 1980s," referring to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

During that time, HIV and AIDS were often associated with only gay men, which led people in LGBTQ communities across Canada to face discrimination, isolation and even violence as HIV and AIDS spread.

"I would just like to express an asterisk of concern with the language that we use moving forward on this, so that we do not inadvertently repeat some of the risks and the dangers that certain members of our community were placed in decades ago," Wilson said.

Tim McClemont, executive director of The AIDS Network, told CBC Hamilton he had concerns, too.

The AIDS Network serves people in Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand, Norfolk, and Brant and its many programs include men's health services and those for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.