Mean Girls. It’s petty; it’s childish; it’s occasionally humorous but don’t be fooled — it’s also dangerous. Stigma is counterproductive.
Using shame as a weapon does not achieve the attended public health goal and we all get hurt in the process. We must put an end to stigma around gay men and COVID.
We have a 40-year history that demonstrates how detrimental shame and stigma are to our communities. These tactics did not work to curb the HIV epidemic, in fact they exacerbated it.
And public shaming won’t work against COVID. It all comes down to the simple question: “What is the intended goal?” If it is to change people’s behavior, then stigma won’t work.As Julia Marcus, epidemiologist and Harvard professor astutely points out in a piece for.