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COVID vigilantes target Houston's gay community

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Published  January 11, 2021 11:39pm CST
Coronavirus
FOX 26 Houston

Houston pandemic police target gatherings in gay community

People looking to police social events in Houston have started targeting the gay community.

HOUSTON - COVID-19 vigilante pages are popping up all over social media.

FOX26 spoke to the woman behind a local page called Houston Gays over COVID.

A growing number of social media accounts set up for the simple purpose, to call out or shame those who decided to disregard COVID restrictions.

Accounts like ‘Houston Gays over COVID’ and ‘Gays over COVID Htwn.’

"At baseline, it comes down to just frustration, disappointment with people in our community," said Austin Ruiz, with The Montrose Center.

Attempts to hold people and businesses accountable as we work through this pandemic have been on going.

With Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner creating the wall of shame once video after another surfaced of packed clubs.

"A lot of people see this continued behavior of going out to bars, not socially distancing and they are rightfully upset that they are staying at home only for other people to ruin that. " Said Ruiz.

Bar owners respond to new Harris County operating restrictions

FOX 26 Reporter Natasha Geigel speaks with bar owners in Harris County about the announcement that they'll have to close through the end of the month.

FOX26 reached out to the women behind Houston Gays over COVID, she said she decided to start the page around New Years.

In a statement, she writes:

"I wanted to create this to specifically bring attention to the dangerous activities occurring in Houston. Something needs to be done to address the venues hosting these super spreader events."

Noting a New Year's Eve circuit party that was held here in Houston.

"It's important to realize we all need to be held accountable and that it’s not just behavior that’s exclusively being seen in the gay community." Said Ruiz. "The reason why they are gay-specific, is because what we are not seeing is in the quote-on-quote straight communities are these large circuit parties."

Austin Ruiz, with The Montrose Center says, this pandemic Is triggering people, saying it shows parallels between another pandemic.

"We saw a lot of people contract HIV and died of aids. People that could have been saved simply if they listened to medical advice. It comes down to people just wanting our community to be safe." Said Ruiz.

A spokesman for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo- saying we are encouraged by the arrival of vaccines, but with the hospitalization rate rising me we need to focus on the current emergency situation.