A close second to baking bread, policing other people’s social distancing practices on social media is among the trendiest pandemic pastimes of the coronavirus era. But as Manchester City soccer star Kyle Walker recently learned, it’s important to make sure your own curve is unimpeachably flat before you go calling out the curve-flattening behaviors of others.
The soccer star has issued an apology after reportedly getting caught hosting a party with sex workers just days after posting a video urging the public to stay inside and respect self-isolation guidelines.
According to TMZ, Walker reportedly paid two sex workers to accompany him and a friend in what we might assume was a distinctly non-socially-distant get together at his London home last week, blatantly ignoring government guidelines to help stop the spread of coronavirus as well as his own public reinforcement of those guidelines.
“Footballers are global role models,” Walker’s team said in a statement, “and our staff and players have been working to support the incredible efforts of the NHS and other key workers in fighting the effects of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, in any way we can. Kyle’s actions in this matter have directly contravened these efforts.”
Walker has issued a public apology saying he regrets the decision, TMZ reported.
“I understand that my position as a professional footballer brings the responsibility of being a role model. As such, I want to apologize to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down,” said, adding, “My actions in this matter are in direct contrast to what I should have been doing regarding the lockdown. And I want to reiterate the message: Stay home, stay safe.”
While I think we can all agree that Walker clearly just wanted to help support the sex workers whose livelihoods have been jeopardized by the coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately the only ethical way to support sex work at the moment is to do so remotely.
As always, please continue to support sex work and sex workers. But for the time being, keep your support online. And in the meantime, curve-judge not lest your own curve be judged.
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