Why Are Folks So Up in Arms About Angela Bassett’s Viral Kiss With Regina King??

At the Governors Awards on Tuesday, Angela Bassett received an Oscar for her years-long excellence in TV/film. But it was the sweet moment that transpired between her and close friend/fellow actress Regina King that got folks talking the most—and not in a good way.

You see, King presented Bassett with the award and used the moment to reflect on their sisterhood and time working alongside each other in the industry. Once the “Black Panther” star came onstage to receive the award, she embraced the “One Night in Miami” director and kissed her ever so shortly on the lips before they parted ways.

Unfortunately, despite the “Waiting to Exhale” star’s riveting, tear-jerking speech that was delivered mere seconds after this moment—folks online were quick to latch onto it and blast the two actresses.

“Out of all things the media could have captured, they choose to capture what Angela Bassett & Regina King sharing a small peck,” wrote one user. 

“2024 is fr crazy asl we only in the first month and got damn Angela Bassett and Regina King kissing lmao mannnn what tf going on???” said another.

But perhaps this commenters sentiments took the cake of them all:

“Who else thinks it’s a coincidence that the night Angela Bassett finally won an Oscar she also had to kiss Regina King? That Oscar wasn’t worth your soul auntie,” he wrote.

Subsequent replied echoed similar, disgusting, and egregious feelings:

“The millions she had wasn’t enough. She still wanted that Oscar and was willing to tongue kiss on camera for it. Remember Regina King ‘lost’ her son to an apparent suicide. Now you’re on stage making out with a woman. Nice,” said one user.

“This what she did on camera. Imagine what she had to do off camera. We all remember what Halle had to do to win her one and only Oscar,” wrote another.

“And you find this surprising?? They made Halle Berry cancel her nudity clause in her contract so she can do “Monsters ball.” They made Denzel Washington lowered his integrity by having him play a crooked cop. Don’t get me started with the rest of the black actors who won Oscars (all of the other female black Oscars winners are mostly for for best supporting actress, implying that Halle Berry, will be the first and last black woman who win the best actress). The rest are either pity Oscars or best male actor Oscar. Hollywood will always be corrupt and they get great pleasure in humiliating strong, prideful, Black actors and actresses,” said another. 

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth by just reading these. Why, you may ask? Because those comments and others like it are laced with so much ignorance, hidden homophobia and unfounded conspiracy theorems, it’s stomach-turning.

God forbid a Black woman show love to another Black woman who’s been in her corner and fighting the good fight in Hollywood alongside of her. God forbid that Black woman show her love and admiration through a kiss on the lips which—depending on where you grew up in this country—is as regular an occurrence with women of a certain age as the morning dew. And God forbid that kiss be shown on a stage like a prestigious awards ceremony or on thousands of silver screens across the country (looking at you Celie, Shug and the “Color Purple.” The backlash to their kiss in the that is also eerily familiar and invokes the same amount of obtuse rhetoric from people bothered by something they shouldn’t be.)

I don’t know who needs to hear this but, there is no “agenda” to “turn” the Black woman or Black man gay. “The Gay Agenda” doesn’t exist, it’s not real, it’s not even a thing. God forbid that kiss be shown on a stage like a prestigious awards ceremony or on thousands of silver screens across the country (looking at you Celie, Shug and the “Color Purple.” The back

But you know what is real and tangible and uplifting and world-changing when experienced fully? Love. Whether it be platonic, romantic or otherwise. And it’s love, that sisterly love—a bond that’s so deeply interwoven between the fabric of Black women—that was on display on Tuesday night. It’s that same sisterly in addition to romantic love that was also on display in “The Color Purple”, which is something that was both in Alice Walker’s original novel and the 1985 film. And there’s nothing wrong with either one.

But if your hidden homophobia and ignorance can’t let you see that, then you’ve got bigger issues to worry about than who’s kissing who.