Odell Beckham Jr. is not a man threatened by toxic masculinity, so when various Carolina Panthers used gay slurs against him in a 2015 game while he was part of the New York Giants, he was unbothered. In the 26-year-old's new interview with GQ, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver opened up about the incident and all the whispers that he might be gay.
"Iâve never had an opportunity to talk about this. Honestly wasn't offended," Beckham said with ease. "Iâve never once had no problem with anybody who has their own personal life that they live. I have friends who are gay. It was almost more funny to me. I almost messed with them even more. It's like when someone gives me an ultimatum, I'm usually always going to go to the opposite way of what you want me to go. So when they would say that, I would almost mess with them even more. I have no problem with anyone's sexual orientation."
GQ writer Mark Anthony Green went on to point out that the fuss around his sexuality, particularly on black gossip sites directly contribute to homophobia in the black community or "the idea that someone must be gay because they're dancing or have blond hair." "Or because they're 'close with other men,'" Beckham responded.
"Even like little videos where they see me leaned back or something, they'll say that Iâm looking at a guy's ass. And Iâm like, 'Bro! You don't even know where my mind is at.' It was just a lose-lose," he continued. "Theyâd see me with a white woman and be like, âWhy donât you be with any sisters?â I have no problem with any race. Love is love. If you're attracted to somebody, you're attracted to somebody. There was such a stigma built up, [as though] I donât like my own women. It's like, no, I don't like anybody who annoys me."
Beckham went on admit that that the scrutiny "makes it worse when it comes from the black community." "I feel like everything is a double standard. You want us to support the black community, and then you go out and bash black people for being happy. So someone can't be happy, someone can't be dancing. 'Oh, he's always around guys, heâs never around girls.' I just donât want you to see what woman Iâm with, and I donât want you in my personal life," he continued.
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