Politics

Donald Trump just retweeted a PinkNews article about a gay Bollywood romance – and we’re as confused as you are

Feb 21 2020
Written by Patrick Kelleher

Donald Trump confused LGBT+ people everywhere by saying a gay Bollywood rom-com is “great!” (Tom Pennington/Getty)

The moment has come for us to lay down our pens, close down our laptops and go home, because Donald Trump just retweeted a PinkNews article.

In a moment that will come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with Donald Trump’s track-record on LGBT+ rights, the president of the United States shared a PinkNews story about gay Bollywood rom-com Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (Extra Careful of Marriage).

Trump retweeted a link to the story – which ran with the headline “Boundary-breaking Bollywood rom-com hopes to convince India’s boomers to embrace gay people” – and wrote: “Great!”

Great! https://t.co/eDf8ltInmH

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2020

The original tweet was posted by LGBT+ rights activist Peter Tatchell, who has since responded to Trump’s surprising retweet saying he hopes it isn’t a “PR stunt.”

I hope this is the beginning of President Trump's genuine embrace of LGBT+ rights & not just a PR stunt. Want more great news like the Bollywood gay rom-com? Sign up for free to my LGBT+ and human rights newsletter at https://t.co/rzjyjzyZi9 pic.twitter.com/yzfN1TTefH— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) February 21, 2020

In case you were wondering, we are at least as confused as you are by Trump’s tweet. It is not yet clear if the president meant to endorse the gay Bollywood rom-com or if his finger slipped. Could this be another “covfefe” moment?

The original story delved into the new gay Bollywood rom-com and detailed hopes that it might win over older people in India, where homosexuality was decriminalised in 2018.

The film hits cinemas in the country today where it will undoubtedly make waves for its inclusion of an unapologetic gay scene.

Donald Trump thinks a new gay Bollywood rom-com is ‘great’ and we are so, so confused.

Needless to say, Trump is not exactly seen as the world’s greatest ally to the LGBT+ community, so his apparent endorsement of a gay rom-com has come as a bit of a shock to queer people everywhere.

Hell immediately started to freeze over following Trump’s tweet, with some of his supporters crowning him an “LGBT hero”, a title we are happy to say he does not deserve.

https://twitter.com/adasomg/status/1230882030700855297

Others took the opportunity to scrub Trump’s history of anti-LGBT+ policies from history simply because he successfully wrote five letters followed by an exclamation mark.

Republicans are working to improve the lives of all Americans. It doesn’t matter what race you are or what your sexual orientation is. Republicans want you to win and have a great life!— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 21, 2020

But plenty of people, much like us, were just confused. This from the president who banned trans people from serving in the US military? This from the president who failed to mention LGBT+ people in his World AIDS Day speech last year?

What am seeing! https://t.co/EPJnNjcoGl— Debi (@WhoDebi) February 21, 2020

I….I'm not sure if he's being sarcastic or just fake.

— Tim Faulkner (@TimFaulkner81) February 21, 2020

Omg @realDonaldTrump just retweeted my gay rights friend @PeterTatchell!

Parallel universe or what?— Socialist Stanley (@OwenJonesStan) February 21, 2020