Alberta premier apologizes for ‘inappropriate’ stigma analogy

After coming under fire for a controversial comparison Tuesday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is apologizing for his “inappropriate analogy to the stigmatization of people with AIDS.”

At a COVID-19 briefing Tuesday, when he outlined the plan to ease pandemic restrictions in his province, Kenney compared the stigma against people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to the stigma faced by HIV/AIDS patients in the 1980s.

“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 Tuesday.

“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.”

His comments drew swift backlash, with many condemning his comments and demanding he apologize.

Kenney provided one Wednesday morning in a short tweet, writing “I was wrong to do so and apologize without reservation.”

Speaking to CityNews Wednesday, Kenney said he regrets making those comments.

“I was wrong to because of, obviously, the terrible suffering of people with HIV in the 1980s. But what I was trying to get at was this: I’m hearing people say that they’re afraid to go into a restaurant and a business if there are unvaccinated people there because they’re afraid they’re going to get sick,” Kenney said, trying to explain what his intention was. “This is an irrational fear, literally a phobia.”

“People who are vaccinated are now no less likely to transmit the virus than people who are unvaccinated. I’m really concerned. I don’t want us going down the path of stigmatizing an entire class or category of people. I believe everyone should be vaccinated, I think it’s the responsible choice. But we have 360,000 Alberta adults who have chosen not to get vaccinated. Looks like they’re not going to change their minds. You know what? they’re members of our family, they’re friends, community members, and we have to live with that, and respect that, and not stigmatize them, that’s the message I was trying to convey,” the premier added.

Many have said Kenney’s apology was not enough.

The NDP’s opposition health critic, David Shepherd, was among those to demand Kenney say sorry, calling the premier’s comments “disgusting and despicable.”

Janis Irwin, the critic for LGBTQ2S+ and Women’s Issues, also took to Twitter to slam Kenney.

“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,” Irwin wrote.

Kenney’s controversial comparison came after he announced Alberta would be lifting the Restrictions Exemption Program as of Wednesday, and as he laid out the province’s “path back to normal.”

Related articles: 

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

• Alberta’s Restrictions Exemption Program lifted Wednesday, restrictions on entertainment venues removed

In their response to his comments, both Irwin and 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 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 Saif Kaiser