Albies and Acune in the dugout | Photo: Twitter @BontaHill
People on the internet decided to get homophobic very quickly when two professional baseball players affectionately hugged during a game.
Video caught Atlanta Braves players Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. in an embrace in the dugout during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It quickly went viral and people naturally gave their opinions, wanted or not.
Ummm, this is a first. Acuna Jr have a headache or something? pic.twitter.com/7JdStsn2gf
— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) July 29, 2018
A lot of the shared reactions were rooted in homophobia, as well as horror and confusion at seeing two men be affectionate with one another.
‘I don’t want to gay bash…’ one person wrote with an ellipsis.
I’m sorry, but that was weird and awkward. I don’t want to gay bash, but those two need to get a room…#mlb #dontaskdonttell
— TooMuchTaste (@TooMuchTaste) July 29, 2018
MLB #CuddlePuddle not the move pic.twitter.com/bbfQFLWzUV
— 49ERNATIVE (@DankerD) July 30, 2018
This dude needs to man the F up! Get a room
— Tetley (@Tetley55) August 2, 2018
Fortunately, others spoke up to strike back against this example of toxic masculinity.
Sad thing is if this was 2 females no one would say shit. Let people live and stop acting like men can’t be affectionate. No one knows what these 2 were going through or why this moment was so important to them. So just mind ya biz
— Neiko Neal (@ActorNeikoNeal) July 31, 2018
American men are so fragile and sheltered they can’t even handle seeing men show bare minimum effection to each other without thinking it’s gay. Meanwhile women do this all the time. I dare American men to visit another country and see how men interact with eachother there.
— 🌙 (@JooniYves) July 31, 2018
This is what “man up” should mean. Don’t be afraid to be kind.
— Keli Vice (@kelivice) July 31, 2018
Yesssss! Showing your brother love n tenderness in the time of need is so necessary for cis gender men. Hyper masculinity has poisoned our community for far too long.
— EHRIE 🏳️🌈 (@EHRIEmusic) July 31, 2018
Reactions like these are harmful
The first set of reactions, those that are homophobic, are harmful as they reinforce the idea of toxic masculinity.
What does this term mean, exactly?
While there are many different defitions, here it is best understood as the enforcement of stereotypical masculine gender traits. This includes the idea of men having to be ‘strong’ and strong meaning not showing emotion.
It essentially restricts what men are allowed to feel, and forces them into angry and ‘alpha’ roles without the ability for emotional range.
When people respond negatively to two men being affectionate and emotional, such as Albies and Acuna, it plays into the harmful nature of toxic masculinity.
Furthermore, calling men ‘gay’ because they are emotional or affectionate is also homophobic and discriminatory, as it implies being gay or having these traits is somehow lesser.
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