Gay Crowd Outside NYC Hell’s Kitchen Hotspot Slammed for Not Distancing or Wearing Masks on Eve of Phase 1 COVID-19 Reopening

Photo: Stephen James Markey

A photo of a crowd packed together outside bars in the NYC gayborhood of Hell’s Kitchen went viral on Sunday as few patrons were seen wearing masks or implementing proper distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. New York City began its phase 1 reopening on Monday.

Wrote Stephen James Markey, a nurse case manager, on Facebook, who shared a photo: “It’s called a mask gays … They ain’t asking you to wear a condom 🤦🏼‍♂️ Slap in the face to all healthcare workers and defiance of law. Reason why you won’t progress to Phase 2 right here.”

Other Facebook commenters, some of whom said they witnessed the scene, expressed their anger.

“I’ve been to or walked by that intersection 3 times in the last month and it is EXACTLY what you see in this photo. I felt like the only person in a mask,” said one commenter.

Wrote another commenter: “I live near it too. I go for a walk daily and usually not many people are around. Today was this! I was so f**king annoyed with everyone. I was literally the nutbag screaming “WHERE ARE YOUR F**KING MASKS?!” to people. Everyone was looking at me like I was the crazy one.”

Another commenter wrote:

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