Justin Bieber. Gay Is ‘Not An Insult’ In Response To Instagram Gay Shaming

Justin Bieber: Gay Is ‘Not An Insult’ In Response To Instagram Gay Shaming//

“I’m not gay,” Justin Bieber captioned an Instagram video of him air-kissing a male security guard on Sunday. He added,//
 “But even if I was that’s not an insult.” Only those unaware of the years of gender-based bullying Bieber has been subjected to//
 — and still is — on social media, in the press, and general punditry, could possibly be wondering why the singer felt the need to clarify//
 where he stands on the “gay” topic. Here is the video of Bieber doing 360 turns on his IO HAWK device on a private jet,//
 before his near-kiss of the bodyguard Mike Arana. If you listen very closely, you can hear Arana jokingly “you’re gay,” //
 which was evidently the primary reason for Bieber’s message. But the backdrop of historic homophobic attacks on the star no doubt played a part//
 in his decision to make a wider statement. It’s a perfectly harmless statement by a 21-year-old who isn’t the most erudite of pop stars.//
 It also comes across as Bieber’s attempt to avoid being misinterpreted by the many in the media that seem to find value in doing exactly that.//

Inevitably, many outlets did manage to find fault with Bieber essentially saying he does not believe there is anything wrong with being gay.//
 Heatworld snarked with the following. The outlet continued in sarcastic text accompanying the second selfie Bieber shared after the kiss video.//
 Heatworld’s comment? “Ah bless, look how sleepy and heterosexual he looks. Lovely. Over at Yahoo UK’s “Justin Bieber Tells Followers He’s ‘Not Gay’ //
 After Posting Video Of Himself Kissing A Male Friend On The Cheek” article, the author wrote as follows. However,//
 a viewing of the mostly homophobic remarks left in the comments section under Yahoo UK’s report, Mail Online’s article, //
 the endless Miley Cyrus comparisons made at the Biebs’ expense, and the scale of gay and lesbian-referencing insults //
 that have been hurled at him since he was child star, tells a very different story. Back in February, 2014, //
 TV Guide editor Sadie Gennis explored what she called the “out of control [Bieber] media narrative” in an insightful piece. In his speech,//
 Bieber told the dais and the roast audience, “Look, I’m new to comedy, but here’s a joke: ‘What do you get when you give a teenager $200 million dollars?//
 A bunch of has-beens calling you a lesbian for two hours.' So, Justin Bieber gets it. He gets that — even as ripped as he now is — not being built,//
 or looking like The Rock inspires some who think being gay is a moral failing to call him that as an “insult.”//

The pushback against such ignorance continues. Many fans’ comments at Bieber’s video post praised him for calling out that limited way of thinking.//
 One wrote, “you are the best! That’s the coolest thin I have ever heard you say ‘even if I was that’s not an insult’ //
 I love you a million times more for that! Despite the evidently, wilful misreading of Bieber’s caption by many media commentators, //
 it is admirable that the singer chose to educate his over 28 million Instagram followers — many of whom are at an impressionable age —//
 that “gay” isn’t an inherently insulting term, or sexuality.//