May 28, 2020
Interim Mr. Gay World a Heroic Doctor Who Battled COVID-19
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 9 MIN.
It's been known since mid-March that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Gay World 2020 would not be crowned until next year, and that he and Mr. Gay World 2021 would rule concurrently for the traditional yearlong term. That news was announced by the Mr. Gay World organizers in a March 14 press release. But since then, a new twist has emerged - one that carries with it a distinct aura of heroism.
The plan was for Mr. Gay World 2019, Janjep Carlos, to leave the post at the same time if the contest for 2020 had gone on as originally planned - at the end of April - and for 2019's first runner-up, Spanish hunk Francisco Alvarado, to serve as in interim titleholder until next year's Mr. Gay World 2020 could officially be selected.
Alvarado isn't just another pretty face, though. He's also a physician - and, like many medical health professionals, he's been on the front lines of the global COVID-19 pandemic, doing battle with the virus and working to save lives.
But, as many medical personnel have, Alvarado himself became sick with the disease, media sites reported. His symptoms followed a familiar progression, beginning with a dry cough on March 10, followed on March 11 by body aches. As his symptoms worsened, Alvarado got tested for COVID-19 and the test confirmed that he had contracted the virus.
Spanish language medical news site Redacci�n M�dica covered the story of the heroic health worker, reporting that Alvarado had to spend 19 days in quarantine.
The medical new site did not shy away from Dr. Alvarado's Mr. Gay World connection. Alvarado spoke frankly about how being both a prominent figure in the gay world and a physician could create, for some, a cognitive dissonance:
"This type of contest, this recreational activity can raise questions about your professionalism; you are not the [typical] healthcare model that stands out with things that have to do with the profession. There are people who question this, that you also participate in something that stands apart from medicine. But there is also [an opportunity for] community work here, for education of the public."
The article also quoted the good doctor at length as he spoke about how he'd like to speak out from the platform of interim titleholder to push back against homophobia.
"We must continue working against [homophobia] in healthcare, and in general. It is not exclusive to the health care profession. It was 30 years ago yesterday that the World Health Organization (WHO) delisted homosexuality as a mental illness.
"Even so, still today in 2020, there are still claims about conversion therapies [that purport] to cure homosexuality."
Such so-called "conversion" or "reparative therapies" have been roundly denounced by reputable health professionals, who warn that the quack practice is utterly ineffectual and can lead to significant harm to vulnerable people who undergo such programs in hopes of being "turned straight."
Dr. Alvarado recovered his health in time to take on his responsibilities as interim Mr. Gay World - and it would seem he is focused on promoting well-being that dispels harmful myths about gays.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.