When a woman posted a series of photos to social media of her fiancé and his best friend last week, she had little idea how they would strike a chord with so many.
“How hilarious is this session?” said Kait Lewis, who recently launched her photo portrait service: Honeybee’s Photography. “My fiancé’s bestie came to town so I jumped at the opportunity to capture their *unique* friendship!”
The two men are both straight and have known each other since eighth grade. Lewis’ fiancé, Devon, is the one with the beard.
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The men were photographed wearing similar clothing, holding hands, and pouring beer into each other’s mouths. Lewis added a lighthearted suggestion that beer company Busch sponsor the photos.
Within a couple of days, the photos had prompted thousands of reactions and comments.
Most applauded the shoot.
“This is definitely hilarious and I love it,” said one well-liked comment. “Don’t get caught up in the haterade — you don’t need their money and they wouldn’t give it to you anyway. Well done!!! BFFs are well worth documenting and your shoot production is spot on.”
“This is amazing!” said another woman. “My husband and his best friend would totally take photos like this because… surprise! They love each other and are comfortable in their sexuality.”
Related: Father and son go viral dancing to ‘Frozen’: “This is what healthy masculinity looks like”
Some questioned why Lewis had added a ‘viewer discretion’ warning at the start of her post.
“I LOVE these photos!” said one gay man. “It’s important to show two men can have a friendship like this and it be completely okay. Disappointed in the “viewer discretion advised”. I saw that you said you’re a family-friendly business, but if this were a male-female couple, or two female friends the advisory wouldn’t be there. As a gay man, I’m disappointed because it only perpetuates male physical contact as inappropriate which encourages fragile masculinity and homophobia.”
Comments like this prompted Lewis to add a clarification to her original posting.
“The viewer discretion was added because I am a family-friendly photographer and the sexual posing and alcohol needed to be warned to AVOID offending people. It has nothing to do with the genders.
“Everybody’s interpretation on what is sexual and what is not is very different. TO ME, some of the photos are out of my normal comfort zone, and that’s all that matters. I stand by the advisory and will not be removing it. I wasn’t anticipating this post to reach 6,000,000+ people in a matter of 2 days.
“This photoshoot was meant for fun. His bestie lives five hours away and we only see him a few times a year. We wanted to have a good time while he was visiting.
“If you are offended by ANY of this (the photos or the caption), feel free to keep scrolling!”
Some people began to post their own photos of straight men hugging or showing affection to their besties.
Lewis is based in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. She told Queerty she’s only been taking photographs for the past month.
“My fiancé and I are having an elopement-style wedding on top of a Mesa in Utah, and in looking for a photographer of our own, it sparked an interest for me! A few years ago I bought a DSLR as an impulse Black Friday buy but I never used it until now. After 23 years of having absolutely no talent, I think I’ve finally found my niche.”
Related: Straight men share “gay” things they enjoy doing and you almost feel sorry for them
She says she met her fiancé a year and a half ago and, “fell in love immediately. We’ve since traveled most of the USA and plan to continue our life of travel for as long as we can. We have two dogs and a beautiful little home with a great view of the mountains. We just got engaged on June 12th, 2020, and are getting married on April 10th, 2021.”
She says she was “shocked” when the post went viral, but that she and her fiancé have enjoyed reading all the comments (over 13,000 at the time of writing). She believes it’s important to capture moments like this between friends and loved ones.
“I never anticipated so many people seeing Devon in daisy dukes. I mainly posted it to give our friends and family a good laugh. When the numbers kept rising and rising we were just in awe.
“We wanted to show that it’s perfectly okay to show intimacy with your best friend, regardless of your gender… and have a good laugh, because it was fun to do so!”
“Some objections of the photos included my caption in giving a “viewer discretion advised” warning. I have since edited my caption to explain the meaning behind this but I stood my ground, still believe it is necessary, and will not be removing it.
“People initially thought I added the advisory because the photos were of two men, which is not the case. I added the advisory because I am a family-friendly photographer. Some of the photos suggest oral sex positions, as well as include alcohol. I posted it to avoid offending anybody who may not want to view that. Since I’ve said this, people are still unhappy, saying that they don’t think some of the photos are sexual. To me, that is subjective … For the most part, the LGBTQ community has been so loving and supportive over the post.”
Related: Trump’s Department of Justice files court statement supporting an anti-gay wedding photographer
Unlike some photographers, Lewis also wanted to reassure people she’d be very happy to shoot same-sex couples and weddings.
“Absolutely!” she told Queerty. “People who refuse clients for any reason regarding who they love is beyond me. It’s baffling, disgusting, and downright ridiculous. The sex of the people getting married makes no difference to me.”
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robertrpm1
Oh, I’m gonna tell her.
ingyaom
Cute photos – I thought the warning was a joke.
Max
what a great set of photos. and an awesome friendship between the two guys.
Donston
It’s unfortunate that almost any type of male affections are still automatically tied to “gay” and that people are still so uncomfortable towards them. However, just as unfortunate is “gay” still being promoted as mostly about attractions and sexual behaviors when for many folks who indulge same-sex relationships or embrace a “gay” identity it’s about affections, comfort, desired affirmation, romantic inclinations, emotional investment, relationship contentment than sex or attractions.
There is little doubt however that these photos were designed to capture a certain type of aesthetic and get a certain type of attention.
GlobeTrotter
My advice to the wife, whatever you do, do NOT get them drunk together!
BlueStateMan
Sorry, but when you pose with your hand over another guy’s crotch? Something else is going on here I don’t care how much the girlfriend and/or boyfriend denies it.
Donston
We don’t know these people. But it’s apparent the photos are meant to capture some homo-erotic/homo-romantic nature. And they were aware of what they were doing when they posted them. Whether a joke or not, they were aware of what they were doing.
WashDrySpin
“I LOVE these photos!” said one gay man. “It’s important to show two men can have a friendship like this and it be completely okay.
NO this is queer baiting…this is not straight dudes who are friends…this is sexualizing themselves for some purpose…I have many straight friends and NONE of them think this is “friendship”. as one friend shared…these guys would not like it if a gay man came up to them and assumed that they were gay without possible violence happening and I agree….it is pandering and almost as bad as “blackface”…
richybruce
He’s got two beards. One on his face, and his fiancé.
Neoprene
Amen. Those two are the poster guys for Texas Bear Round Up.
tennisguynyc
Guys, come on…you really need to up your content game. I scrolled thru this in about 2 secs…didn’t see even one advertiser.
frankcar1965
Right, sure Jan! Someone needs to tell her.
amanwithanedge
gay.
ShowMeGuy
What’s that meme of the two metrosexual/hipster guys jumping in tandem unison with the text ?
: : a best friend will make your family question your sexuality : :
Hillers
We’re not terribly far from where male-male physical interaction was used as a punchline, and the two friends almost seem to be playing into it, holding hands together, posing suggestively with one pouring a beer down the other’s throat. Knowing the intention and context behind the pictures helps, but even so, it can’t help but bring up memories of all the times the dudes dressed up as chicks at pep rallies for big laughs.
Donston
They don’t seem to be trying to be homophobic or ignite “gay panic” humor. But it is kinda cheesy and attention-whore-y. It’s very much a classic example of “gay baiting” and using homo-affections, homo-eroticism and homo-romanticism purely for attention and sensationalism. And unfortunately, even many “queers” still do that, especially ones who are hetero-leaning or not in homo relationships. It’s not just the supposed “straights” who are problematic on that front. Like I mentioned before, all the parties involved knew what they were doing. It doesn’t at all make them bad people though.
Troysky
…obviously amped up and staged for grins and just fun. …relax
sfojeff
SURE they’re straight. Like me and my boyfriend……
Mamesboy
Sorry. I think this was totally offensive.
So they made fun of gay men by their dress, their sexual poses. The whole thing was a mockery. I don’t care what you write and think they were doing, they were ridiculing
Gay men.
Donston
I don’t think they’re trying to “ridicule” anyone or make fun of “gays”. But supposedly “straight” guys using gay stereotypes, homo-eroticism and homo-romanticism as mostly a joke to get attention does make me uncomfortable. First, there’s still a ton of “straight”/hetero-leaning obsession out here. This plays into that type of privilege and paraphiliac. While some act as if it’s somehow “brave” for “straight” guys to “act gay”. That perspective needs to die. Secondly, I’m just tired of semi queerness or homo affections/eroticism/romanticism being used on social media to get likes and views. These pics aren’t really that big of deal, but they do speak to a larger problem.
GayEGO
Hey! Bro loves are good loves. My love is a gay love, we were together 57 years, married 15 years, and my husband passed away last year! Of course we had some….ahem….private stuff together!
Neoprene
They live five hours apart and only see each other a few times a year, says the naive young finance. I don’t think so. A more realistic way to think about the distance is: A 2 & 1/2 drive for each to a cheap roadside motel.