‘Despicable’: Alberta premier under fire for saying unvaccinated face stigma similar to AIDS patients

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney faced a swift backlash Tuesday for comments comparing stigma against those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to the stigma faced by HIV/AIDS patients in the 1980s.

The comments came after he announced the province would be lifting a number of COVID-19 restrictions, including the vaccine passport.

Here's Premier Jason Kenney saying that the stigma against unvaccinated people reminds him of the stigma for HIV/AIDS patients in the 1980s.#yeg #Yyc #ableg #Covd19ab pic.twitter.com/4iGQhydoWP

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) February 9, 2022

“Everybody should avail themselves of the protection of safe and effective vaccines, and that the choice not to get vaccinated is not just a personal choice — it does have social consequences. But it’s never okay to treat people like that, to stigmatize people in that way,” he said.

“And in a way, it kind of reminds me of the attitudes that circulated in North America in the 1980s for people with HIV/AIDS. There was this notion that they had to be kind of distanced for health reasons. This is a terribly divisive attitude. So yes, we encourage people to get vaccinated but treating people who have made a different decision as though they are unwelcome as members of our society is not acceptable.”

One of the first to demand an apology was Opposition Health Critic David Shepherd. He called Kenney’s comments “disgusting and despicable.”

“This premier will reach for anything to make excuses for what is clearly a craven, political decision. And for him to evoke the memory of those who faced very real discrimination because of a disease they could not control, to compare that to individuals who choose not to get vaccinated — frankly, it’s unconscionable.”

NDP Health Critic David Shepherd is calling on Premier Kenney to apologize for comments comparing the stigma against the unvaccinated to that of HIV/AIDS patients in the 80's, saying comments are "disgusting."#yeg #Yyc #ableG #covid19ab pic.twitter.com/2Hwqr7XmFO

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) February 9, 2022

Janis Irwin, the Critic for LGBTQ2S+ and Women’s Issues, also took to Twitter to condemn the comments.

“Don’t you dare bring up AIDS in your COVID comments, and pretend you’re some sort of human rights defender. We know your record on that.”

Don’t you dare bring up AIDS in your COVID comments, @jkenney, and pretend you’re some sort of human rights defender. We know your record on that. You fought to keep gay people from visiting their dying partners in hospital. Stop.

— Janis Irwin (@JanisIrwin) February 9, 2022

Irwin, like Shepherd referred to Kenney’s role in trying to overturn a law extending hospital visitation rights to gay couples during the 1980s AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, a move that would have prevented people from visiting their dying partners.

A recording of comments in the 80s surfaced in 2018. In it, Kenney touts his role in organizing a petition calling for a referendum to repeal the city ordinance extending recognition rights of heterosexual couples to same-sex couples.

The ordinance was defeated by a narrow margin.

Kenney, who is a Catholic, says on the tape he believes his actions brought him spiritually closer to his church.

Kenney has since said he regretted those comments and that his public record in Parliament shows he supports domestic partner arrangements and benefits for couples regardless of sexual orientation.

With files from The Canadian Press