Gay conservative lashes out at LGBTQ orgs for exploiting COVID-19

Washington Examiner columnist Brad Polumbo, a self-identified gay “libertarian conservative,” has slammed a group of queer charity organizations, accusing them of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to earn money.

Polumbo penned his column in response to an open letter to Congress signed by groups like the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and Lambda Legal, which cited scientific research that LGBTQ people are more susceptible to COVID-19 due to a variety of risk factors. He accuses the groups–and queer people more broadly–of playing the victim.

“This is, frankly, ridiculous,” writes Polumbo. “The coronavirus is a virus. It does not care if you are gay. Efforts to somehow make a global pandemic evidence of anti-gay and anti-transgender oppression is a case of shameless self-victimization at its worst.”

Related: Rush Limbaugh’s guest host blames the gays for COVID-19 lockdown

Polumbo then goes on to deride claims that LGBTQ Americans lack or face discrimination in healthcare, or suffer from higher rates of weakened immune systems due to HIV and smoking. He claims there is no reason to believe queer Americans smoke at higher rates or face any kind of discrimination. Polumbo also states that HIV+ people are not at higher risk for COVID-19, citing an article that does make that assertion…so long as HIV+ patients take antiretroviral medications. Apparently, Polumbo believes that treatment automatically becomes available to anyone that contracts HIV.

“This letter is just another cynical attempt by left-wing gay and transgender activist organizations to fuel the fake victimhood narrative they need to keep their donor base engaged. Shame on them for extending their identity politics addiction to a global crisis,” Polumbo claims.

Brad Polumbo has a history of attacking other members of the queer community. In January, he slammed Washington DC’s Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend as an affront to the community for promoting kink.

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