Danielle Lirette
Audio By Carbonatix
A superspreader event is on its way to Denver…spreading love, that is.
The anti-vaccination dating app, Unjected, is set to host a singles mixer at Recess Beer Garden on May 29. It’s the first stop on a multi-state tour intended to connect individuals who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, though the platform also opposes “vaccination of any kind,” its website notes.
“Denver has been one of our most asked-for cities over the last five years,” says Shelby Hosana, a Hawaii resident who founded Unjected in 2021. “In the past, we’ve had up to 150-plus people at these mixers.”
The event quickly attracted controversy for Recess, which has been infected with online comments accusing the venue of putting the health of its patrons and staff at risk.
“Recess did not organize, sponsor or formally host the meetup being circulated online,” says Catherine Tiner, the LoHi beer garden’s director of marketing. “We operate as a public, first-come, first-served neighborhood bar, and outside groups occasionally choose our venue as a place to gather independently.”
Tiner did not respond when asked whether Recess will inform customers on May 29 that the anti-vaxxer gathering is taking place.
This comes as anti-vaccine sentiment and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, meningitis and yellow fever are on the rise globally. The jump in vaccine hesitancy is perhaps the most stark in the United States, as President Donald Trump has hopped on board, appointing anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and defunding vaccine research.
Colorado has reported twenty cases of measles so far this year, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. The state saw no more than one annual case from 2017 to 2024.
“There’s so much hate towards our community, but truly we just believe in bodily autonomy and that is a basic human right,” Hosana says. “We’re just going to be mingling, socializing and keeping to ourselves.”
Besides public health concerns, critics have taken issue with Unjected’s messaging. Supporters refer to unvaccinated individuals as “pureblood,” reminiscent of racial purity language. In an Instagram post advertising the Denver event, the Unjected account liked comments calling vaccinated individuals “vaxxtards” who have “destroyed our bloodlines.”
A comment directly from Unjected’s account says the group doesn’t support “sat*nic pedof*les,” which Hosana explains as referring to “the government as a whole.” She describes the organization as staunchly apolitical.
Following the Denver mixer, Unjected plans to continue its tour in Nashville, Boise and Portland, Oregon. Hosana says the group will film content at the mixers for an upcoming documentary, but no filming will occur during the Denver event.
“We just learned of this event and immediately communicated to the organizer that any filming or interview-style content will not be permitted at the venue, per our company policy,” Tiner says.
Hosana confirms that Unjected chose Recess as the event venue “completely by random,” adding, “of course, we will respect their wishes.”
The event is free to attend, but drinks aren’t included with entry — and no shots allowed.
