Bad Bunny fans shut down queerbaiting claims after same-sex kiss
Bad Bunny fans have come out in defence of the Latin rapper over claims of “queerbaiting”. The star earned enormous praise online for his performance of Tití Me Preguntó at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, where he passionately kissed a male and female dancer.
However, the moment did prompt accusations of queerbaiting, which the dictionary defines as the “practice of implying non-heterosexual relationships or attraction (in a TV show, for example) to engage or attract an LGBTQ audience or otherwise generate interest without ever actually depicting such relationships or sexual interactions.” “I love Bad Bunny, loooove.
But the #queerbaiting has to stop. It’s really cringy. If he’s gay or bi, fine. If not then please stop,” tweeted one viewer, while another wrote: “Bad Bunny doing the same Harry Styles does… just feels like 100% queerbaiting.” Following backlash, fans highlighted how the kiss occurred shortly after two female artists, Villano Antillano and Tokischa, were condemned for locking lips at a show in San Juan. “Bad Bunny kissing a male backup dancer was probably in response to how earlier this week, Puerto Rican media and some in the reggaeton space were outraged by a kiss between Villano Antillano and Tokischa,” said one Twitter user. “Calling him a queerbaiter is not the serve y’all think.” Another fan said the kiss was “a big thing” due to the high rates of violence against the Latin LGBTQ+ community, with another saying the detractors don’t understand “what he’s doing and how much importance it holds, especially in his community and the culture he comes from.” Bad Bunny has been outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights on numerous occasions throughout his career.
