Boys and men who dance — and ballet fans on both sides of the Atlantic — took to social media Friday to defend Prince George and to blast “Good Morning America” host Lara Spencer for laughing at him because he loves to take ballet classes.

During a segment Thursday on the morning show, Spencer patronizingly talked about the 6-year-old heir to the British throne, who is studying dance as part of his second-grade curriculum at at Thomas’s Battersea school in London.

Spencer mentioned that the school’s curriculum includes the usual second-grade subjects such as math and reading. But she also said the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton would “be putting down the Play-Doh” to take religious studies, computer program, poetry and ballet.

The latter subject sparked giggles from Spencer, her co-host George Stephanopoulos and their live audience.

Spencer recalled comments from William, who has said his son “absolutely loves ballet.”

“I have news for you, William. We’ll see how long that lasts,” quipped Spencer, who is the mother of a teen son and daughter.

Spencer appeared to think her comments were in harmless fun.

But celebrities, professional dancers and regular people saw nothing harmless in them — and Spencer issued an apology Friday morning.

She wrote on Instagram: “My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday. From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain-and love every minute of it.”

Spencer did not allow comments on her post, and her apology did little to quell the discussion roaring across social media, with the #ballet4boys hashtag trending.

Many accused Spencer of shaming and bullying a child, while others pointed out all the great male dancers past and present — from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Patrick Swayze. They accused Spencer and her “GMA” colleagues of wallowing in gender stereotypes by suggesting that dance is not an appropriate pursuit for males. Some also talked up the athletic challenges and other benefits for both boys and girls in learning to dance.

One of those #ballet4boys commenters was Rosie O’Donnell who said, “Laughing at boys who take ballet? What’s up with that? It’s like bullying on national TV. Boys who take ballet are cool.”

“Star Trek” actor George Takei said Spencer’s comments show that “toxic masculinity” can be spread by “insensitive women, too.”

Lara Spencer on @GMA mocked a 6-year old Prince George of the UK for taking ballet class. It shows that “toxic masculinity” can be spread viciously by insensitive women, too. As a fellow “George” and a lover of dance, I am very troubled and disappointed by her actions. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 23, 2019

The Royal Academy of Dance in London tweeted:

We believe dance is for everyone, and are very saddened to hear when anyone is told that that is not the case. For any boys or men still facing stigmas about their love for ballet, we have pulled together some sources of support #RADProjectB> https://t.co/oojOgqYGN5 https://t.co/g8kZO7svJb — RoyalAcademyofDance (@RADheadquarters) August 23, 2019

Dance Magazine said that dance offers numerous, far-reaching benefits to mental and physical health. In 2019, there is “no way it is acceptable” for a grown woman to laugh at a boy for his love of dance, the magazine added, noting that young boys who enroll in dance class face bullying to an outstanding degree.

this isn't just about Prince George, and it isn't just about ballet classes. It's about the fact that no one should be bullied for what they enjoy doing. And we refuse to condone it. @gma

https://t.co/UARvtmJhP3 — Dance Magazine (@Dance_Magazine) August 23, 2019

Dancer and choreographer Brian Friedman wrote on Instagram that Spencer should be ashamed of bullying Prince George: “Growing up as a dancer I was bullied horribly which is exactly what this is. She is teaching the word that it is ok to laugh at boys for dancing and that is so sad. Just think about the young boys who may have seen this and could quit their passion at her expense.”

“So You Think You Can Dance” artistic director Travis Wall posted a video, saying Spencer should “get with the program.”

“You’ve now added fuel to the fire to a massive problem in this country, which is bullying … The next time you want to laugh at a child for taking a dance class or laugh at them at all, look at yourself in the mirror and ask do you want to be a bully today?” he said.