Who can show love in public?
What kisses are acceptable according to heteronormativity? The kisses between Agus Cabaleiro and Maki, in a campaign, sparked all kinds of comments and discrimination.
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. “We already know what they are, there’s no need to prove it”; “Everyone can do what they want in private, but it’s offensive in public”; “I bet you also agree with those who killed Lucio, I didn’t see you demanding justice”; “Handbags for lesbians only, that’s what the ad says, I’m not buying.” These are some of the comments found on an Instagram post featuring an advertisement for handbags by the brand Santaclara .
The image that sparked a wave of aggressive comments showed two women kissing: Agus Cabaleiro (creator of the Onlinemami ) and her partner, digital and fashion designer Maki Giménez, in the context of Valentine's Day.
“We read offensive and outdated comments. We were also happy to read others that align with our values. At Santaclara, we strongly believe in love in all its forms. Unfortunately, we had to limit comments to avoid giving space to hate. We thank and apologize to @onlinemami_ and @makiamakinami. Long live love!”
The rejection of expressions of diverse affection is nothing new. In the months leading up to the Qatar World Cup, there was much talk about the country's ban on public displays of affection, especially those involving LGBT people. But Qatar, ultimately, isn't so far removed from reality. Although Argentina is one of the most progressive countries in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, the hushed comments and uncomfortable stares seen in public translate into aggressive, discriminatory, and violent remarks on social media.
If there is love, let it not show.
A prime example of a punished kiss is that of Marian Gómez and her partner Rocío Girat at Constitución station. The couple was reprimanded by a police officer after they had kissed. They were accused of smoking in a prohibited area, Gómez was violently arrested and held for three hours, and a case was opened against her for resisting authority.
Two years later, she was sentenced to one year in prison for resisting arrest. Finally, in July 2021, she was acquitted .
Before the legal case involving the kiss , there was another incident of clear discrimination against a lesbian couple in September 2016. It happened at La Biela bar, where one night in August 2016 a young woman was expelled for kissing and hugging her girlfriend.
These events occurred when the equal marriage law was in its early years in Argentina.
Kisses and lesbian visibility
In 2022, Pixar's animated film Buzzy Lightyear was released, which included a scene in which two teenagers kissed.
The film was banned in 14 countries (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan and Lebanon) and in others it was warned that there was a kiss between people of the same sex.
The scene sparked countless debates about lesbian visibility and how sexuality is portrayed in films and fiction. Today, we consider it from the perspective of love, which is always present in animation but, until now, hasn't addressed the possibility of depicting love between lesbians or gay men.
For the peck and for the big kiss
On Valentine's Day, we allowed ourselves to reflect on this, based on what happened with Santaclara's post and Agus Cabaleiro's response on his Instagram:
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate love in all its forms, but those of us who belong to the LGBT community are reminded that love and freedom are not for us ,” said the creator of Onlinemami.
“ I didn’t receive these comments on a post about rights or politics or anything like that; they’re comments on posts from two brands that invited us to participate in their Valentine’s Day campaigns by kissing each other. They said we’re unnatural, that we shouldn’t do what we do (kiss) in public, and what scared me the most: that they don’t agree with ‘LGBT ’ people,” Agus commented.
“ It scares and distresses me. Obviously, the post has a lot of messages, but I still wanted to make this post to tell us: We deserve to be visible, to celebrate love, and to hook up just like everyone else. Oh, and not all women who like women are lesbians; I'm bisexual ,” the woman concluded.
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