(Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/AP)
Lewis Hamilton has apologized for “inappropriate words” he said to his nephew who wore a princess dress for Christmas.
In an Instagram story, the F1 champion tells the boy, “I’m so sad right now. Look at my nephew. Why are you wearing a princess dress? Is this what you got for Christmas? Why did you ask for a princess dress for Christmas? Boys don’t wear princess dresses!”
this is NOT ok @LewisHamilton get with the times…. pic.twitter.com/qZS22KuQ3e
— Pride UK (@itsPrideUK) December 26, 2017
Hamilton has faced a backlash from the video, with netizens calling him out on imposing gender norms and perpetuating a culture of “toxic masculinity” and bullying.
This is horrible. Children should feel safe to be themselves around family, not attacked for it. Lewis Hamilton might want to spend some time on that private jet thinking about his fragile masculinity. https://t.co/a1Iahn0ARI
— Benjamin Butterworth 🎄 (@benjaminbutter) December 26, 2017
Lewis Hamilton literally filmed himself yelling at a tiny child for wearing a dress, and published it to mock said child. The harmful reality of absurd gender norms is they create an inter generational culture of bullying, rigorous conformity to bs rules, and sexist expectations.
— Miriam Brett (@MiriamBrett) December 26, 2017
"Boys don't wear princess dresses", eh, Lewis Hamilton?
Wrong. Boys wear whatever they want. Girls wear whatever they want. Boys can be princesses. Dresses aren't shameful.
Go stick your toxic masculinity up your arse.
— Penny Gift 🎁 (@pennygotch) December 26, 2017
He has since issued an apology via Twitter.
Yesterday I was playing around with my nephew and realised that my words were inappropriate so I removed the post. I meant no harm and did not mean to offend anyone at all. I love that my nephew feels free to express himself as we all should.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 26, 2017
My deepest apologies for my behaviour as I realise it is really not acceptable for anyone, no matter where you are from, to marginalise or stereotype anyone.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 26, 2017
I have always been in support of anyone living their life exactly how they wish and I hope I can be forgiven for this lapse in judgement.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 26, 2017
“Yesterday I was playing around with my nephew and realised that my words were inappropriate so I removed the post. I meant no harm and did not mean to offend anyone at all. I love that my nephew feels free to express himself as we all should.
“My deepest apologies for my behaviour as I realise it is really not acceptable for anyone, no matter where you are from, to marginalise or stereotype anyone.
“I have always been in support of anyone living their life exactly how they wish and I hope I can be forgiven for this lapse in judgement.”
However, a Twitter user pointed out that the apology might have been insincere as Hamilton had been liking tweets that said he had nothing to apologize for.
Lewis Hamilton’s apology would be more meaningful if he didn’t ‘like’ all the ‘you’ve nothing to apologise for’ replies. We see you sis, we have receipts. pic.twitter.com/UsTW6PxaXv
— Coral DeVille OBE (@CoralDeVille) December 26, 2017
According to Christia Spears Brown, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, children only start choosing sex-specific toys after they learn about gender, reports The Guardian.
Hamilton has also drawn flak this year after being implicated in the Paradise Papers, which reveal that he has avoided taxes in the use of his private jet. /ra
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