Bean Soup Theory

If you are chronically online, then I am sure you have heard about Bean Soup Theory.

A user posted a video on TikTok of a recipe for a soup comprised of beans. Commenters swiftly moved in, asking ‘what if I don’t like beans?’. What this shows is that when people encounter something that is not exclusively for them, instead of understanding that, they have to centre themselves and make it about them.

Bean Soup Theory can be perfectly seen in queer rights, especially those pertaining to the queer community. Trans rights are the bean soup, and non-trans (cisgender) people asking about their specific rights are the commenters.

It can also be called ‘whataboutism’ which is people see something, that isn’t about them, and again refusing to accept that they will comment ‘what about xyz’. This is also exemplified by heterosexual people asking when straight pride is - classic ‘whataboutism bean soup’!

It is exhausting, pointless, and achieving the aim of people who actively don’t support us, which is to distract and invade the space queer people desperately need to be heard.

This is where allies need to step in, to remind the bean soup commenters that this is not their space, that this is not affecting their life in anyway. The amount of oxygen that it is being taken up by conversations that are pointless at best, and devastatingly dangerous at worst, is ridiculous.

We say no to the bean soup commenters - shut up, and sit down - this is not for you!