Gay Trump supporter who thought coronavirus was a ‘hoax’ gets a harsh reality check when he and his family almost die
Healthcare workers treat a coronavirus patient at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas on July 2, 2020 (Mark FelixAFP/Getty)
A gay Republican and Trump supporter who believed the coronavirus pandemic was a Democratic “hoax” had a harsh reality check when he and his family were hospitalised with the virus.
Tony Green admitted in a Dallas Voice column that being a gay Trump voter means he often “juggles persecution for my sexuality while being true to my values”.
This blind loyalty led him “deep into the conspiracy trap over COVID-19”, and before he caught the virus he was convinced it was nothing but a “scamdemic”.
“I believed the virus to be a hoax,” Green wrote. “I believed the mainstream media and the Democrats were using it to create panic, crash the economy, and destroy Trump’s chances at re-election.”
He and his partner saw no danger in hosting family members for dinner on 13 June – but when he woke on 14 June, he felt awful. By the next day his partner and parents were also showing symptoms.
His father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law quickly fell ill too, followed by his father-in-law’s mother, his partner’s sibling and their spouse. Only the family’s newborn baby was spared.
By 24 June, both Green and his father-in-law were hospitalised, the virus had attacked Green’s central nervous system and he was on the verge of a stroke.
Though his father-in-law’s mother was in the hospital right next to her son, she was unable to have anyone by her side when she died a week later. On the day of her funeral five more family members tested positive for coronavirus.
You cannot imagine the guilt I feel, knowing that I hosted the gathering that led to so much suffering.
“You cannot imagine my guilt at having been a denier, carelessly shuffling through this pandemic, making fun of those wearing masks and social distancing,” Green said.
“For those who deny the virus exists or who downplay its severity, let me assure you: the coronavirus is very real and extremely contagious.”
He warned readers they are standing on the “precipice of a common heartache”, and urged them to take heed of the warnings he ignored.
“The next time you’re put out because your favourite spots are closed or because they won’t let you enter without wearing a mask, and you decide to defy them rather than comply because you’re defending your rights and freedoms from being trampled, just remember: Your family and friends may be next,” he said.
“[Imagine] that pool party, the mixer or family reunion you’re pushing for resulting in you being cold and alone in a hospital bed, fighting for your life.
“Imagine the only human contact you feel is a stranger’s rubber glove giving you medication, checking your vitals and changing your diaper.
“That is exactly what has happened to our family.”
