Trump and Putin in the video | Photo: Twitter @NYTOpinions
The New York Times released a political cartoon of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin earlier today and many people are calling it homophobic.
Animated by Bill Plympton, the animated video is part of NYT’s series Trump Bites.
In this particular segment, they depict Trump’s ‘not-so-secret admiration’ for Putin. It plays out ‘in a teenager’s bedroom, where the fantasies of this forbidden romance come to life’.
In this episode of Trump Bites, Donald Trump’s not-so-secret admiration for Vladimir Putin plays out in a teenager’s bedroom, where the fantasies of this forbidden romance come to life. https://t.co/cWeQMuzWUz pic.twitter.com/4shBRkloot
— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) July 16, 2018
Trump and Putin held a joint press conference today (16 July), where Trump defended Putin on numerous points. He hand-waved ideas of Putin and Russia interfering in the 2016 presidential election, despite evidence to the contrary.
This isn’t funny, it’s homophobic
Many people, including the likes of Tegan and Sara and Teen Vogue’s Phillip Picardi, called out the publication for the cartoon. They called it homophobic and offensive.
I think it is dangerous to constantly insult the relationship between these two men by insinuating that it is romantic. This is homophobic. https://t.co/VKeYSJ6wDd
— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) July 16, 2018
This is homophobic. It is implying that being gay is an insult for both of these men. It implies that being gay would emasculate them. It implies that calling them gay together would anger them and incite reaction. This is beneath us. https://t.co/Zk95DgQOpN
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 16, 2018
Oh so now homophobia is cool if it’s used to rip Trump https://t.co/HkR3rm7wZ8
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 16, 2018
During these trying times when the president lies to us every day and normalizes Vladimir Putin, please remember what’s important: LOL WHAT IF HE WAS GAY https://t.co/4sMyxLS67g
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) July 16, 2018
jokes about trump/putin as gay lovers are homophobic and bad not to mention incredibly lazy
— Dianna E. Anderson 🏳️🌈 (@diannaeanderson) July 16, 2018
can you please. stop harnessing. homophobic rhetoric. to describe the alarming relationship between Putin and Trump.
— Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan) July 16, 2018
The issue stems from the fact that the cartoon is clearly mocking Trump. However, it is doing so by depicting him gay, therefore also implying that homosexuality and a queer identity is also worthy of being mocked.
It is not the first time the New York Times has received criticism for its political coverage stemming from the presidential election.
Last year, they hired Bret Stephens, a climate change denier, as a new op-ed columnist. When they profiled a white nationalist, readers accused them of normalizing a Nazi sympathizer.
GSN reached out to the New York Times.
