A popular YouTuber has apologized after posting a picture of himself posing on an AIDS memorial during Pride.
Alfie Deyes, who has followers in the millions and is in a very public relationship with fellow YouTuber Zoella, was in Brighton to celebrate with the LGBTQ community.
He had his full ally starter pack in tow: coloful pink shirt, check; face glitter, check; rainbow flag, check.
Stopping to pose for an otherwise unremarkable photo, Alfie hopped up onto the base of a statue, stared wistfully into the heavens and waved his flag.
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There was just one problem — the Instagram set piece he indiscriminatnly selected is the Brighton AIDS memorial.
As one commenter wrote: “Unless i’m mistaken, that’s the f*cking Aids memorial statue. That’s where we gathered as a community after pulse to mourn the lost, where we meet every year for world aids day. It’s not a perch, it’s where we leave candles and messages.”
To his credit, after realizing his mistake, Alfie took down the photo and issued an apology.
He wrote:
“Just seen a tweet saying that in the picture I tweeted of myself celebrating Brighton Pride, I was sitting on the edge of an Aids Memorial.
For sure didn’t realise that and didn’t mean to offend anyone if the picture did. I’ve deleted it! Thanks for letting me know.”
But that’s not the end of the story.
Alfie was back on Twitter just a few hours later, wondering why people haven’t just moved on:
“I’ll never understand why people always think the worst.
The replies I’m getting about sitting on the memorial..I didn’t even know it was a memorial and yet people are tweeting saying I don’t care about aids.
Spend your time educating others, rather than just instantly attacking.”
Call us crazy, but maybe a thoughtful donation to a local Brighton AIDS charity (for what it’s worth, Alfie is a 24-year-old multimillionaire), or a commitment to volunteer with a LGBTQ youth outreach organization, or literally any gesture beyond just hitting delete and saying “oops” would go a long way towards showing everyone what an ally he purports to be.
Ditamo
Why is it a crime to sit on the edge of a memorial? There are thousands of memorials, head busts, statues, etc. around the world at parks and other locations, and people sit on them and take pictures on them all the time.
Don’t see how this is disrespectful when there was no intention of disrespect? Neither did he vandalize it, so….
Brian
It might be hard to tell from this one photo, but he’s sitting on a statue / piece of art. The slender figures at the top of the photo are part of the rest of it.
There are certain things that you just don’t do. You don’t touch the Mona Lisa. You don’t climb on Lincoln’s chair at the Lincoln Memorial. He didn’t consider this monument to carry meaning like the Mona Lisa or the Lincoln Memorial, so he didn’t bother with common etiquette.
ShowMeGuy
Because it is a memorial…..it isn’t “just” a statue, or a piece of “art”. And just because people have forgotten all sense of manners and respectable conduct, that is no excuse to be climbing on memorials.
That being said…..when he realized what the hell he did, he fixed it….and the idiot mob continues to scream for his skull on a pike because they wake up every morning hellbent on finding something to be offended about.
Kangol
I understand why LGBTQ people are getting upset at Deyes, but to his credit, he was attempting to show solidarity and ally-ship with LGBTQ people. He’s holding a rainbow flag and attended Pride not to stir up hate or cause trouble, but to be supportive. He didn’t realize he had plopped down on an AIDS memorial, and when he was rightly criticized, he took the photo down and semi-apologized. Since he did that, a good route for those who felt that he could do more to atone would be to suggest he donate money to AIDS or LGBTQ-related charities, as Queerty points out. Help LGBTQ allies grow more informed; this is a perfect opportunity to do so.
Brian
Of course he realized what it was! He walked through the field toward the one and only giant statue. He wore a costume and makeup (big deal). He did all of this so that he can collect ad revenue.
luvxander
So he sat on a statue? He apologized, end of story. He shouldn’t have to make a donation to anything. If you’re going to hand out “suggestions” to donate to charities every time someone makes a mistake, then they’re no longer donations, but punishments. And that’s just not what charity is about. He apologized. Whether that was half-assed or not, that’s all that’s needed.
Seamus66
What is an Alfie, and what does it do? (Agree he did this to be cool, and for money, though.)
sanfranca1
Apology accepted. End of story.
justgeo
Ah ‘cuz you are a mindless you are a super rich entitled piece of shit paying cheap homage.
Go make a GAY BABY!
Mr-DJ
So on one hand we want/demand tolerance/acceptance, and then when we get a straight ally – who has an international platform, no less – we demonize him for “being in it for something”?
Why assume all people have ulterior motives for everything from what they eat, wear, and every spot they place their foot (or butt)?
I assume people making these assumptions (like you, ‘justgeo’), are doing so based on their own proclivities, and are indeed the ones that are suspect instead.
Cardi-Gan
I looked up a photo and still didn’t recognize it as a memorial. In a large lawn of grass, two intertwined bronze figures, one male and the other of indeterminate sex, cast a shadow in the shape of the aids awareness ribbon. As much as I hate young millionaires, I have to give a pass on this.
Doug
Jesus… lighten up, people.
brandon
You’re crazy, Dan Tracer and Queerty. I mean, I guess we must not need allies too much if we’re going to make every step they make (or don’t make) out to be an example of homophobia.
luvxander
Okay, really? Who gives a crap? If I’m walking along and I want to take a picture, I’m not going to google every available place I see on the off chance that it might mean something to someone somewhere!
gymmuscleboy
A typical authoritarian-left position from Queerty – saying that now he should donate to an AIDS charity? A little bit crazy, yeah.
Catstail
His action of sitting on the monument has offended some people, so it’s OK to apologise for their hurt feelings. But it really is their problem. The monument is not a living thing, is not harmed by being sat on, and it is not magical or invested with some holy significance.
Sitting on the monument is expressing a desire to be close to us and identifying, in this case, with our pain, our loss and our hope for the future.
I’m so sorry that Alfie Deyes has been subject to criticism for this.
ElPillo
I’m so bored
Terrycloth
Whether he knew or not look what has happened. We are talking about the statue & aids. Charities. …awareness..YouTube. him and pride praades that’s alot for one picture. All of that in ofrom one pucture. No bad
Bob Scardino
It looks pretty sturdy to me. The statue and pedestal I mean.
Lacuevaman
please, in Key West, you can walk on the memorial.
ShowMeGuy
Harvey Milk is probably rolling over in his grave……wishing he could nail some people in the face with pies.