Kevin Harlan, a sports announcer for CBS and TNT, ignited a transphobia debate on Twitter after his play-by-play of the “streaker” who interrupted Super Bowl LV on Sunday night in a pink neon thong went viral.
Said Harlan: “Someone has run on the field. Some guy with a bra. And now he's not being chased, he's running down the middle on the 40, arms in the air in a victory salute. He's pulling down his pants! Put up your pants my man. Pull up those pants? … He slides at the 1 and they converge on him at the goal line. Pull of your pants, take off the bra and be a man! And the players with hands on their hips at the other end of the field are looking at him and saying, ‘why oh why is this taking place in a Super Bowl?'”
Incidentally, the field intruder was planted by YouTube prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy.
Twitter users took issue with Harlan's language:
I liked this until he said “be a man” we don't need the toxic masculinity. Sorry not sorry
— Cԋɾσɱαƚιƈαɳ Rყαɳ (@rasalem13) February 8, 2021
