Gia Gunn has revealed a quite a belief on Instagram; this former RuPaul's Drag Race competitor thinks that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax. Fans are very concerned about how this can lead to potential misinformation and perspectives being shared, as the death toll climbs by the day.
Gunn's real name is Gia Keitaro Ichikawa. A transgender participant, she has appeared on several seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, getting tenth place in the original series and eighth place on All-Stars. Gunn also released four music videos with original songs between 2017 and 2019, showing that she was willing to branch out. The current season also has enough drama with one former competitor catfishing men.
Page Six doesn't even have to conjecture to explain how they found out; Gunn made an Instagram video. She said that she found masks cute but that they weren't doing anything. "I think the more and more that we look around and see each other with masks on, the more influenced we are going to be to also put our masks on, which then to me, insinuates that everything is not ok." A later source revealed that Gunn backtracked after facing the impending backlash from her fans. She made a follow-up video that had an apology and a recommendation for everyone to wear masks.
At the risk of belaboring the point, things are not okay with the pandemic now. We need to do what we can to cope with the stresses that come with a pandemic spread, but any reasonable person would look outside right now and not say "This is fine." Several states are showing a high risk. This is in fact a great opportunity to be an activist, as current competitors are showing. The competitors on the show can use their social media following to talk about safety for everyone and how to prepare when leaving the house. A few of them are taking no nonsense and calling out double standards.
Obviously, Gunn was either very insensitive or oblivious to the human cost of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has poor timing in the face of overworked doctors and nurses, some of whom are harassed by ignorant individuals and others whose bodies succumb to the disease. With no vaccine forthcoming and the death toll rising, such a video seems both tasteless and potentially dangerous. Many viewers are facing realities that the pandemic is bringing, and calling it a hoax is showing disrespect to the living and the dead alike.
RuPaul's Drag Race needs to figure out how to gently encourage their competitors and viewers alike to be sensible. If Gunn has any common sense, she'll lay low until the public furor dies down the way that Sherrie Pie did. Otherwise, she may find herself without a good reputation as a role model, which would undermine her whole career.