My colleague Dan captured what we imagined one alt-right hater named Roosh Valizadeh termed the “soy smile,” as quoted in Alex Henderson’s article for Alternet; a smile within a pose that “combines the feelings of excitement and fear” (see Henderson, “The ‘soy boy’ conspiracy theory: Why the alt-right believes soybeans are part of a vast left-wing plot against manhood,” https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/soy-boy-conspiracy-theory-why-alt-right-believes-soybeans-are-part-vast-left-wing; accessed 11/24/2018).
The theory is breathtaking, but, I suppose, no different in character from the myriad other theories which point to specific environmental factors and their causal effects on the human body. Except, the haters promoting this theory target the LGBTQ communities in our midst. Belief in theories which purport male emasculation to be caused by social forces is age-old in our society. This newest theory neatly conjoins social and environmental factors together. It is not simply that soy has an estrogenic effect, but also that this known factor is being manipulated by a vast conspiracy of left-wing agents.
Once Dan produced the smile I had to capture it with a photograph. I did not grow up consuming soy, so I can rest assured that my gay self did not magically sprout from a bean. (That would make a cute fairy tale, wouldn’t it?) Dan, though, is a generation younger. Do you suppose?
dpduckworth 
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