This viral tweet about boxers getting married shows how ridiculous toxic masculinity is
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Sometimes, boxers come together in front of a crowd of people who love them, to celebrate their union and commence their journey.
And then, in an effort to make their feelings clear, they get right up in each other’s faces.
This was the premise of a tweet comparing boxing photos to same-sex weddings, which has gone viral, attracting more than 300,000 retweets and favourites.
(Twitter/Jon Lovett)
The post works wonderfully as an antidote to the toxic masculinity which has been visible as numerous boxers have made homophobic remarks in recent times.
Posted by writer and podcaster Jon Lovett, the tweet features boxers Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin squaring up to each other in the presence of an official.
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Lovett, who was a speechwriter for President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and produced HBO’s The Newsroom, quips: “Half of all boxing photos look like gay weddings”.
And people loved it.
As Twitter user Mara Averick pointed out, “the fact that this joke is funny af shows some real cultural growth.
“Like 20 years ago, people would’ve been all: No! That’s all”.
(Twitter/dataandme)
Others were just delighted – and maybe a little teary.
(Twitter/IngeborgRakvag)
(Twitter/felipebarcc)
(Twitter/willgraym)
And some people pointed out just how right Lovett was with his tweet.
(Twitter/valetdecoupe)
(Twitter/VaughanRoderick)
Boxing has a problematic relationship with LGBT people, with several high-ranking stars having voiced discriminatory views or slurs.
Last month, Olympic medallist and 15-time world champion Floyd Mayweather finally apologised for using a homophobic slur in a press conference, after nearly a month of refusing to do so.
While promoting his fight with MMA star Conor McGregor, Mayweather shouted at his rival: “You punk. You faggot. You ho!”
Earlier this year, WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders told his 92,000 followers that a shop assistant with long hair and earrings shouldn’t be seen by children.
Tyson Fury returned to boxing in March after he quit over a “witch hunt” because he compared gay people to paedophiles.
Fury was previously controversially nominated for the BBC’s Sports ‘Personality’ award – despite claiming that homosexuality and paedophilia will bring about the apocalypse.
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor (Getty)
The boxer consistently stood by his comments and denied being homophobic – while also claiming that sex with children was legalised by a fictional ‘Gay Rights Act 1977‘.
He later sparked further outrage after making homophobic, sexist and antisemitic comments in an hour-long video rant.
However, there is a ray of light in the shape of Orlando Cruz, the first openly gay professional boxer.
Cruz has said he is “ready” to be the first out gay man to become the boxing world champion.
The boxer is hoping to make history again after hecame out in 2012 and married his long-term boyfriend José Manuel in 2013.
The boxer has been an ongoing advocate for the LGBT community. Last year, he dedicated a fight he won to the Orlando massacre victims.
And then there’s double Olympic champion Nicola Adams, who is an out and proud bisexual fighter.
Last year, she said: “I would like to do more for the LGBT community, try to help people.”
