A New Year’s Eve kiss between couple Ricky Locci and DJ Petrosino, shared live from Times Square on ESPN, quickly became a viral moment—eliciting reactions across the internet, from celebration to controversy. Despite some online hate, the couple says they’ve received far more love—especially from those who appreciated seeing positive LGBTQ+ representation in unexpected places.
“It warmed people’s hearts”
The moment aired unexpectedly during ESPN’s New Year’s broadcast, surprising even anchorman Scott Van Pelt, whose reaction drew its own share of attention online. But for Locci and Petrosino, the kiss was simply a natural display of affection—one they were proud to share with viewers across the country.
“We’ve had a lot of support,” Locci told Outsports. “People said the kiss warmed their hearts, that they were so happy for us, or that they needed to see that—especially after this last year.”
Locci, a physical therapist for Broadway productions and founder of a health and wellness business focused on LGBTQ+ clients, has been dating Petrosino—an interior designer and former stage performer—for just over a year.
The kiss wasn’t originally intended to reach millions. The couple says an ESPN production assistant approached them about participating and asked them to wear Planet Fitness hats as part of the brand’s sponsorship.
“We thought it would just be shown on the Jumbotrons,” said Petrosino. “We didn’t know it was going to be televised. We kiss all the time, so we didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”
From surprise to support
Later that night at a local piano bar, the couple watched their kiss air again on TV. When their friends pointed them out to other patrons, the room erupted in cheers. Messages of love and support soon flooded in from around the world.
“We got a lot of love—not just from people we knew, but from people all over the internet who just appreciated it,” Locci told Out magazine.
While Van Pelt’s reaction during the broadcast raised eyebrows—some claiming he appeared disgusted, others joking he was aroused—the couple took it all in stride.
“It’s crazy how people tried to make the worst out of his reaction,” Locci said. “I guess they’ll interpret it the way that they want.”
“It speaks to the nature of the society we’ve created, that he didn’t want to say the wrong thing,” he added.
Petrosino agreed: “With it being on a sports network, where people kissing in general is not seen much, it’s unexpected in and of itself.”
Hate and healing
Unfortunately, the visibility also came at a cost. After the footage was picked up by right-wing social media accounts, the couple became targets of homophobic abuse.
“We got a lot of hate,” Locci shared, revealing that some commenters made violent threats and accused them of pushing propaganda.
In response, Locci took to Instagram with a heartfelt message about his personal journey.
“In my 20s I struggled… with depression and coming out,” he wrote. “In my 30s I kissed my boyfriend on national television after having one of the best years of my life.”
“Loving yourself and finding confidence is a constant work in progress. Some days you feel like the most confident person in the world, others like the smallest. It’s important to love both versions.”
He added in an interview with Outsports:
“Patience is a virtue… and loving yourself is how you can really embrace your queer identity. Then a relationship like the one we have will come along. For some, it may be easy to find. For others, it may be hard. But it doesn’t mean that it’s unattainable.”
Visibility still matters
While their kiss was a fleeting moment on screen, both Locci and Petrosino believe its impact may last far longer—especially for LGBTQ+ people in more conservative communities.
“Given our political climate right now, I think any kind of visibility is important,” Petrosino said. “Even if we think it’s already been said and already been out there, I don’t think we can [push for visibility] enough.”
