Twitter’s Twink Discourse Is Just as Ridiculous as It Sounds

No, “twink” is not a slur. But the Internet may think otherwise.

Gay Twitter’s latest debate was sparked by none other than the WAP-stress herself, Cardi B. On Tuesday, she tweeted, “White twinks on this app are weird. You don’t dictate people’s action.”

White twinks on this app are weird .You don’t dictate people’s action.

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) July 14, 2021

Y’know what, she made some points. I hate most twinks and I basically am one, if you’re allowed to have hairy legs. I don’t know the official twink rules. Is there a handbook?

Regardless, Cardi’s tweet ignited a firestorm of twink discourse, which is an absolutely ridiculous sentence that I’m so glad I had the pleasure of writing. 

Some people seemed genuinely pissed, or at least pretended to be for attention. Take this Barb user, whose Nicki Minaj profile pic suggests they may have another reason to hate on Cardi:

don’t use twinks as a derogatory term if you aren’t LGBTQ

— Hate Train Era 😪 (@oinkamaraj) July 14, 2021

Or this user, who seems emboldened by that blue check:

not cardi thinking she can say tw**k 🙄🙄 https://t.co/qBwvv2ChVe

— adam (@adamjmoussa) July 14, 2021

Or even this user, who seems to be taking this pretty seriously:

Yeah, idk what everyone has decided Twink means in 2021 but if it’s still the same as 2010, I’m out because slurs and generalizations are not it.

— stef williams (@mostefinitly) July 14, 2021

For real though, twink is not a slur. And the white gay men who are offended by Cardi using it seem to me like they’re just looking for a reason to claim they’re being oppressed. This user agrees:

Not to take the whole “Is Twink a slur” conversation too seriously. But its wild that twink is used to describe a group of people who are undoubtedly the most privileged within the LGBT community and now they want to claim it’s a slur. Almost like they don’t want to be criticised

— E R I S. E N V Y. (@ErisEnvy) July 15, 2021

But enough of taking twink discourse seriously. I mean, it’s called TWINK DISCOURSE. Bring on the comedy!

twink is a slur and the only slur that everyone is allowed to say all the time

— Kai (@kamilumin) July 14, 2021

“Black women can’t say ‘twink’ and that’s just the tea SIS. PERIOD. OKURRR” – white gays today

— maybe: Phillip (@MajorPhilebrity) July 14, 2021

first of all twink is a gender

— Hunky Dory (@thankumitchell) July 14, 2021

If twink is a slur, I identify as a slur enthusiast!

— LUXX | PRETTY PRIVILEGE OUT EVERYWHERE 🖤 (@luxxnoirlondon) July 14, 2021

“Twink is a slur” – me trying to land some brain dead twink this weekend.

— sam greisman (@SAMGREIS) July 14, 2021

“Get vaccinated unless you’re a twink. Fuck twinks” pic.twitter.com/Uc1Fs28QTL

— Justin Randall (@imjustinrandall) July 15, 2021

And for a final word on the matter, let’s look at Cardi’s follow-up tweet. She sums the whole thing up quite eloquently:

Twinks https://t.co/y1CLuNNrUC

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) July 15, 2021