LGBT Network CEO Emphasizes De-Stigmatizing Monkeypox

NEW YORK STATE — The monkeypox virus has slowly but surely spread across New York State in recent weeks.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the state's confirmed cases increased from 679 on Monday to a total of 830 confirmed cases as of Friday.

What's unique about the virus is not just its statistics, but how it currently is affecting the LGBTQ community — particularly men who have sex with men.

Patch recently spoke with Dr. David Kilmnick, president and CEO of the LGBT Network in Hauppauge, about how it is affecting the community and the importance of de-stigmatizing the disease.

"The goal here is to stop the spread, do education and awareness to the targeted communities and get the vaccine into the arms of those who need it," said Kilmnick.

Suffolk County launched its first round of monkeypox vaccinations on Fire Island last week, to address those who are most affected by the virus.

"It's important that right now, the resources are given to the communities who have been impacted the most by it and that is gay and bisexual male community," he said.

Additional vaccination appointments are to take place this weekend and next week on Fire Island, as well as in Hampton Bays and Bay Shore, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced in a press conference on Wednesday.

"The response during COVID was to do targeted outreach to Latino and African American communities,"he said. "And the response here is the same."

Kilmnick said that he was grateful for the heightened awareness, as diseases that have affected the LGBTQ community have been ignored in the past.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80s, for example, saw one gay man in nine diagnosed with AIDS; one in 15 had died, statistics indicate. According to the CDC, nearly 330,000 gay and bisexual men with stage 3 HIV (AIDS) have died since the 1980s.

"In the beginning, it was called 'GRIG' — Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome. And the response from our government was no response," Kilmnick said. "If we had this response (to monkeypox) 40 years ago, we could have saved many lives."

Kilmnick emphasized that just because a man identifies as gay does not inherently mean they are susceptible.

"Your sexual orientation doesn't put you at risk," he said.

According to the CDC, monkeypox can be contracted from skin-to-skin contact. Therefore, one should avoid touching, kissing, having intercourse with, or share eating utensils with a person with monkeypox.

For gay men, Kilmnick said that they should not feel embarrassed of their lifestyle or who they are.

"We shouldn't shame people," he said. "This is a public health issue, first and foremost."

The first round of monkeypox vaccination appointments were almost immediately filled after going live, the Suffolk County Health Department confirmed with Patch.

Kilmnick said that while many still feel exhaustion from the COVID-19 pandemic, the best way to combat the spread of monkeypox is to continue vaccinations and to work together as allies.

"We'll be a shining light and example, when monkeypox does reach — if it hasn't already — other communities," he said. "The will to keep fighting and battling these diseases needs to be there."

To learn more about monkeypox, click here.

To learn more about the LGBT Network, click here.