Woman Accused of Pulling 'Suggestive' Pose With Boyfriend's Family Cheered
Internet users have rallied around a former gymnast who was made to feel bad for displaying her talents in front of friends and family, where they appeared to sexualize her.
The Reddit user, who has since deleted their account, shared a post on the AITA [Am I The A******?] forum after performing gymnastics moves in front of their boyfriend's friends and family. The 24-year-old says she did gymnastics in college, and it often comes up in conversation.
While the Redditor was enjoying some time by the pool, one of her boyfriend's cousins asked if she could still "do all the moves and stretches." Rather than just saying yes, she chose to quickly show them instead that she hasn't lost her talents.
"I played along, put down my drink and did a standing split, lifting my leg and holding it behind my head," she wrote. "It was a seemingly normal, cute moment, whatever. People clapped, we laughed, moved on."
Unfortunately, not everybody appeared to enjoy the impromptu performance, as her boyfriend's sister apparently claimed that it was "an inappropriate thing" to do.
"She said it was suggestive to do that in a bikini in front of a mixed audience. I told her I didn't agree, it was a very basic gymnastics (and even yoga) pose, just all in good fun. Now I'm getting the cold shoulder," the Redditor wrote.
Gymnastics has long been a popular sport for people to begin at a young age and carry on through their adolescent lives. Statista revealed that gymnastics participation in 2021 grew by over 10 percent, to a total of 4.27 million gymnasts across the United States.
There can be a fine line between displaying talents and flaunting them, which is something that etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts is mindful of. With over 20 years of experience, Grotts refers to herself as a "new school etiquette expert," as she modernizes traditional principles and encourages people to make intuitive decisions about their behavior.
Speaking about this woman's dilemma, Grotts told Newsweek: "There is an idiom: if you've got it, flaunt it. But there is a time and place to showcase talents—normally at competitive sporting events. If you're invited to showcase your talents, as this gymnast was, it could cause envy on the part of the guests. It all depends on who asked her to perform."
Grotts added that if someone is asked to perform, they're "in a no-fault zone" because they're only doing as requested. "She should not be belittled and made to feel smaller than she is," she said of the gymnast.
The sister's comments made the Redditor question whether she was "being naïve" in doing the gymnastics pose in front of everyone, leading her to seek advice from fellow Reddit users.
Since the post was shared on March 18, it has already received 12,600 votes and over 2,500 comments. The gymnast was overwhelmingly declared "not the a******" on Reddit and many commenters said that there was nothing wrong with the poster's actions. How the moves were perceived isn't down to her.
One person commented: "Anyone who sexualizes what you did, the problem lies with them."
Another Reddit user said that the poster shouldn't have been shamed for her skills: "Believe me I would be jealous too, but I wouldn't shame you for a skill you have obviously worked very hard on. Plus your clothing isn't far off what most Olympic athletes wear during their routines anyway," they wrote.
Newsweek reached out to the Reddit user for comment via direct message. We could not verify the details of the case.
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