'Compassionate Conservatives?' Read Responses to the Deaths of Texas Couple to COVID-19
One of the more wrenching stories to come out of the pandemic is of a Texas married couple who both died within days of each other from COVID-19.
"Anthony Brooks, an employee at the San Antonio Military Medical Center and a military veteran, and Phillip Tsai-Brooks, a local business owner, died early last week at Methodist Hospital Metropolitan in San Antonio," reported San Antonio NBC affiliate WOIA News 4.
Brooks was also a councilman in the town of Live Oaks, Texas.
While much of the response has been empathetic, that the men were gay and married seemed to bring out right-wing homophobes, as these comments found on The Hill's reporting of the story.
While a good deal of the replies dealt with President Donald Trump's response, virus conspiracy theories and notes of sympathy for the couple and their families (which includes Tsai-Brooks' quarantined mother who lived with the men), many confirmed that COVID-19 isn't a great equalizer when it comes to hateful comments.
A commenter named Curious put it best:
"Came here to see the 'compassion' from 'compassionate Conservatives,'" they wrote. "Wasn't disappointed."
Some were put off that the couple was gay:
"I stopped reading after the article said 'his husband," wrote user Iwillkeepmine.
And someone named Samuel Adams wrote:
"Texas councilman and his husdand (sic). Damn. I'm sorry they're dead, but that is one headline that I will never be able to process."
Other messages were far less sympathetic:
"Those gays got what they deserved," commented user Derp Trap.
"Couple of butt jumpers gone and not tainting a Texas city council? I'm glad," added someone by the handle Paul.
There were the usual attempts of linking the deaths to HIV:
"They probably both had AIDS," claims G CHINESE VIRUS BENDER.
And this from Dems and China lied corker (whatever that means):
"Doesn't mention both were HIV positive and at high risk.why do you suppose that is?"
When asked to verify, they responded: "No I know people in the next town who had heard. Not a real big town."
There were the expected comments condemning homosexuality on religious grounds:
"Homosexuality is indecent and detestable. Says so in the scriptures, lib.," writes BullDog88 Trumps Scam University.
"Yes, we are saying homosexuality is not normal. Yes, we are saying homosexuality is condemned by God. Yes, we are saying we should love our fellow man, but we don't have to approve of his homosexuality to prove we love him," admonished TexasCoyote1.
Plus the usual (and lame) attempts at humor:
"The CDC recommends keeping 6 feet apart from each other and not sharing butt plugs. Lots of people here need to heed that advice," advises Rockymtnhi.
And this exchange between an individual called WINNING! and another_engineer:
Winning: "How do these sexual deviants determine who's the girl. Geeeze!"
another_engineer: "I think it's whoseever rear end is bleeding the least that night... I dunno"
But perhaps the winner in the despicable department is the appropriately named HildaBeast, who wrote three comments:
"You can try all you want to impregnate your man's butt with your tallywacker....all you will get is sh!t" and "This is an AIDS story brownie," from two days ago.
And this from today: "Confusing. Is one of them a tranny poser?"
But another_engineer put the hateful comments in perspective with this post:
"So people on the right. You claim to uphold God's vision. But here's an example of immaturity in the extreme. Could you imagine this same quote coming out of Jesus' mouth? Jesus spent time with sinners to spread his message; he washed the harlots' feet. Treated them as equal. Is this what you're perpetuating? Is this the love of God? God, and you, may not agree with a particular lifestyle. But is denigrating individuals going to convert anyone to your point of view?"