ABSTRACT Heteronormative public administration assumes that LGBTQIA+ communities will reflect their heterosexual counterparts. The resulting deficient outreach to vulnerable communities has worsened health disparities, as seen in the 2022 Mpox epidemic, in which gay and bisexual men experienced the highest infection rates. This research applied queer theory to examine social media efforts to eliminate Mpox spread. This study critically assessed 591 social media messages from influencers, non‐profits, and government for queer‐focused and heteronormative discourse. Findings revealed that most governmental and non‐profit accounts failed to augment content for the at‐risk audience. Gay and bisexual men had to navigate heteronormative content to locate resources critical to their well‐being. Conversely, influencers acted as a public health system through repeated messaging and by supplementing governmental guidance with steps tailored for a queer audience. Influencers' value came from leveraging their lived experiences to challenge discriminatory societal norms, highlighting the crucial role of culturally relevant communication.
Wiley et al. (Sun,) studied this question.