Brittney Griner cancels Women’s Leadership appearance after ‘Gay Baby Jail’ meme taken too far
Brittney Griner was set to speak at the Women Grow 225 Leadership Summit.(Marla Aufmuth/Getty Images for California Conference for Women)
Basketball star Brittney Griner has cancelled her appearance at this year’s Women Grow Leadership Summit after the “Gay Baby Jail” meme appeared to be taken too far.
Griner was invited as a special guest to the convention, which sees women in the cannabis industry attending the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington, DC from 18-19 February. The WNBA athlete was expected to discuss drug charges after being incarcerated in a Russian prison for 10 months when authorities found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.
However, the parent-of-one withdrew from the conference after reportedly finding “threatening objects and words” in her hotel room. CBS affiliate outlet WUSA reported that a piece of gaffer tape was left on the wall which read, “Gay Baby Jail”, referring to a long-standing internet meme.
Prince George County Police told the outlet that the tape was not likely to have been left to threaten Griner and was likely to have been left behind by a previous hotel guest. However, the authorities were unsure as to why hotel staff did not remove the message before Griner checked in.
It is believed that the tape could have been left by a Katsucon anime and gaming convention attendee, as the event ended just one day prior at the same convention centre.
“Brittney Griner arrived to be with us but felt unsafe because of threatening objects and words left inside her hotel room. For her safety, she chose to return home,” Chanda Macias, Women Grow CEO told Marijuana Moment.
“Regardless of whether this was a targeted attack or an unfortunate coincidence, the entire Women Grow community and I wholeheartedly support Brittney’s decision and stand with her at this time.”
What does ‘gay baby jail’ mean?
It is believed that the 12-year-old meme was first coined by Tumblr user Bolto in 2013, as per user Sugar Sweet Venom, to “punish” fictional characters, like the wider known phrase “horny jail”. Twitch streamer SimpleFlips has also used the phrase after being “soft locked”, or unable to reload or progress a game.
Although the phrase is not intentionally homophobic, it is understandable that Griner, who is an out lesbian, felt “unsafe” as a result of the ordeal.
If this story has affected you, call the LGBT National Help Centre on 888 843 4564 Monday-Friday 1 pm-9 pm Pacific Time or 4 pm-Midnight Eastern Time or on Saturdays 9 am-2 pm Pacific Time or Noon-5 pm Eastern Time.
How did this story make you feel?
