Paralleling the Gay Man's Trauma: Monkeypox Stigma and the Mainstream Media

Abstract

Mainstream media portrayed monkeypox as a sexually transmitted disease through government guidance and increased a sense of hypersexualization and stigma among gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this study is to understand how the US mainstream media perpetuated stigma toward gay and bisexual men (MSM) in its coverage of monkeypox in 2022. This article, therefore, contributes to the fields of queer studies and health communication. Using discourse analysis, we found three discourses including: Global disparities, LGBTQ Behavior and Stigma, and Racialized Discussion of Health Disparities.