THE BOYZ‘s Jacob, Juyeon, Kevin, and Eric are in Los Angeles, California.
They have a busy schedule, too! The four members attended the L.A. premiere of Marvel and Sony‘s new film Madame Web on Monday, February 12.
Kpop group the boyz at the LA premiere for ‘madame web’ #MadameWeb pic.twitter.com/9jLj6i8NOc
— chi madame web spoilers! (@WEBBMAYI) February 13, 2024
The next day, Tuesday, February 13, Jacob, Juyeon, Kevin, and Eric attended an NBA (National Basketball Association) game. They went to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ home game against the Detroit Pistons.
The L.A. Lakers won in more ways than one, having THE BOYZ there supporting them. The team’s official social media accounts updated, sharing photos and videos of Jacob, Juyeon, Kevin, and Eric in attendance. Each member was rocking their own custom jersey.
Reppin’ L.A. with @WE_THE_BOYZ pic.twitter.com/vCywTkqhq4
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 14, 2024
Kevin even commented on the Lakers’ Instagram post featuring the group. He thanked the team, saying it was an honor.
Likewise, fans commented. They cheered for THE BOYZ and thanked the Lakers as well.
Yet, the overwhelming comments on this post were negative. NBA fans wondered who this group was featured on their team’s Instagram, although THE BOYZ’s account was clearly tagged in the caption.
This is where it also gets straight-up racist. Many comments suggested that they were BTS, although all the members are known to be fulfilling their mandatory military service.
Some ridiculously asked if THE BOYZ were family members of Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani is neither Korean nor an NBA player. He’s a famous Japanese baseball hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.
Other comments were even more obviously racist. Some included racist stereotypes and slurs.
Yet, even more than racist comments were homophobic and transphobic, although nothing was particularly feminine about THE BOYZ members’ appearance. GIF spam, including the word “gay,” flooded the comment section. Netizens also referred to THE BOYZ as “ladyboys,” a gender identity unique to Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
Kathoey or katoey (Khmer: ខ្ទើយ; khtəəy, Lao: ກະເທີຍ; ka thœ̄i, Thai: กะเทย; RTGS: kathoei; Thai pronunciation: [kàtʰɤːj]) is an identity used by some people in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, whose identities in English may be best described as transgender women in some cases, or effeminate gay men in other cases. These people are not traditionally transgender, however are seen as a third sex, being one body containing two souls. Transgender women in Thailand mostly use terms other than kathoey when referring to themselves, such as phuying (Thai: ผู้หญิง, ‘woman’). A significant number of Thai people perceive kathoey as belonging to a separate sex, including some transgender women themselves.
— Wikipedia
THE BOYZ fans and some Lakers fans jumped to the group’s defense. They called out these netizens for their racism and homophobia.
THE BOYZ wouldn’t be the only K-Pop group subjected to disgusting comments after being featured on the Lakers’ Instagram. Read more below.
