I can’t really say that Jay-Z’s thoughts on gay marriage were the most concise endorsement of the human rights agenda, but Jay – to his credit – got the ball rolling, and now more and more black entertainers are coming out in support of gay marriage. In the Jay-Z story, I gave my reasons for why I thought it was important for black entertainers and prominent, respected African-Americans to speak out in favor of gay rights – go here to read it. So, 50 Cent has now joined the fray. And surprisingly enough, he comes out in support of gay marriage, saying in part:
“I’m cool. I would like people to actually be happy. Technically I don’t see where it fits into any religion. The Bible that they would read to marry you, it doesn’t have anything in it that says same-sex. If it does, then I would like someone to point out that interpretation. I’ve encouraged same-sex activities. I’ve engaged in fetish areas a couple times. I’m for it. I’m wondering if I’m bad for promoting it when the president says it’s fine.”
“I think everyone should be happy. I think a fool is going to go against same sex marriage at this point… Look how long it took him [Obama] to say he was for same sex marriages. You understand? I’m up for it. If everyone else is for it, then hey, to each his own. I don’t have personal feelings towards it because I’m not involved in that lifestyle. I want people to be happy. It makes for everything to be better.”
But of course, 50 giveth and 50 taketh away. In the same interview, 50 Cent claimed: “We need organisations for straight men. We do. We need organisations for straight men in the case you’ve been on the elevator and somebody decides they want to grab your little buns. Times are changing. Those organizations are set up for at one point they were being attacked for those choices. Now its completely different. Obviously [homosexuality] is more socially accepted.” *insert John Travolta joke*
Of course, 50 Cent has a long history of homophobic comments, some of which kind of border on hate speech and the promotion of anti-gay violence. GLAAD issued a fatwa against him back in 2010, that’s how bad it got. So… is this a whole new 50 Cent? Is he just finding out that gay rights are trendy now? Or did he just have a gradual change of heart? I don’t even know. Eh.
Photos courtesy of WENN, 50 Cent‘s Twitter.
He’s an idiot. Don’t care what he thinks 1 way or the other
He IS an idiot. However, lets not under estimate the impact this man has on his fans. If 50Cent saying that hes ok with gay people keeps some kid from being beat up by idiots asserting their own masculinity – then thats a good thing.
I could have done without the second part of that statement but the first part is the kind of progress we could only have dreamt off only 2 months ago.
Ah, yes. Straight men get their little buns groped and are shocked — shocked! — to find that they don’t like it. At least they should be shocked, since for years they have been groping women’s bums and other assorted bits in elevators, bars, subways, streets, etc. under an apparent assumption that women loved and enjoyed it. Of course, their new realization will in no way prevent them from continuing to grope girls. So basically … shut up 50.
^ exactly !
So true, Abigail, so true
I came here to say the same.
For centuries assh-les have been quite proud of making women, AND YOUNG GIRLS, feel like prey. Whether you go in the subway, sit at a restaurant, walk down the street, there is always an a-hole waiting to make you feel like a piece of meat, something to be abused, something that should fear him.
Well, whether gay or straight, a-holes are a-holes 50! And an a-hole will make you feel like you are not safe, a piece of meat, something to be abused, whether you are a male or female.
I think 50’s words will bring on a debate on a-holes in general, and how one should conduct himself in polite, CIVILIZED society. And how preying on people, is just not manly. At all!
This! Thisity this!
I have a few male homophobic co-workers as well as a homophobic boss and one common theme among them as to why they’re hostile toward to gay men is that they’re afraid of a gay guy hitting on them. So I say so? Are you that irresistible that every gay guy you meet will be attracted to you? Please! If a gay man hits on you just say no, I’m not interested. It’s no different than a man coming on to a woman. If you wanna beat up a gay guy for daring to flirt with you then perhaps we women should start pepper spraying every guy who says something fresh to us.
tl;dr. What Maguita said.
THIS.
To be fair the majority of men (and the majority of people full stop regardless of the genders involved) think its unacceptable to grope/touch women inappropriately or to support it.
As men we would then expect the same support from women but instead we get comments like yours and the like ‘oh well you think its funny and now its happening to you, you don’t like it too bad’ Just look at how male victims of sexual assault/rape are treated…
I’m not coming out in support of 50 cent the guys a bit of an idiot, but I wanted to comment on your reply…
Who is he anyway?
Um gross. It’s wrong to sexually harass/assault anyone ever. Are men not allowed to have problems? Really?! It’s especially sad because young boys are stigmatized if they’re abused by men. Anyone who thinks sexual abuse/harrassment is ok towards men is awful. Truly.
I seriously doubt if he’s evolved, he’s been pretty ugly about it in the past.
Don’t flatter yourself 50, NOBODY want’s to grope you in an elevator…or somewhere else, except maybe Chelsea Handler.
Lmao!
“Who is he anyway?”
LOL
It’s only cool when he’s bangin two chics…duh
Well I don’t think any pressure should be put on African Americans to support anything they don’t want to. Being African-American and gay is not the same thing or the same struggle. If you are black and you support gay right that’s awesome, but if you don’t, please don’t feel that you need to.
This is a deep issue that is embedded in deep cultural identity and it’s not for anyone out side of our race or culture to tell why we should or should not support something. And I absolutely support gay rights, I just don’t believe shaming or trying to link two different struggles together for support is the right thing to do. It’s too agenda-y for me.
I respectfully disagree Victoria. Everything you have listed is exactly why African American men should come out and support gay rights.
Because the white North American man used to be where the African American man was, just a few decades ago, and hopefully, where the Arab Muslim man would also be in a short few years from now. Those “deep embedded issues in cultural identity” need to evolve with the rest of us, and stop victimizing, and marginalizing, those who don’t conform to the “African American man” image of what is manly, and what is unacceptable to being a black man.
Time to have balls, time to speak up, and time to lift the taboo off the face of homosexuality. No matter your skin color, religion, or faith.
Dear, the “white North American man” is not that much more “progressive” that the “African American man”. The surveys show that the gap between the 2 male groupings on this issue is really not that big. And this type of baiting (yes, baiting) is the exactly the strategy that nom was revealed to employing when their documents were hacked. Maggie Gallagher already admitted that this divide-and-conquer the left strategy is being actively employed. Nom by the way is a predominantly “white North American”, hard Right organisation
The Naacp voted to actively fight for gay marriage. Meanwhile white kids are still beating up their gay classmates. The point is – all communities have a problem here and the dialogue can not driven by outside forces with major issues of their own.
Sorry, Victoria. I completely disagree that gay people are NOT having the same struggles in society as black people…ONCE did.
Or perhaps you are forgetting that black people could be discriminated against in the workplace at one time? Or that they couldn’t marry white people if they wanted to.
Or maybe its just easier for you to forget.
Nobody will know if you are gay by just seing you. You can’t compare being gay and being black. Because you can’t hide the fact you are black and in this society, in higher place, it is better being a white gay male than a black person. Racism hasn’t stopped, it is just institutionalized now.
^Seriously? Every gay-LOOKING white man has been attacked, belittled, prejudiced against, beaten up, ridiculed, and every other ugly term ranging from emotional abuse, to murder. And that is just the victims, let us not speak of the harshness done as well to their families. Just like the black man.
Haven’t you read what some upstanding citizen named Mitt Romney used to do to his fellow students with long hair?
Come on, I can definitely agree with you that, quite sadly, America has taken a HUGE step back in the past 18 months in regards to racial issues, but please, do not belittle the gay-man’s hard-dealt hand for decades now; No matter his skin color. In ALL societies, because of religious zealotry beliefs, i.e. even in an all black-man society, the gay man was bashed, threatened, and oftentimes murdered because of his homosexuality.
The hatred for the black man was out in the open for a while, but the hatred of the gay man has been hidden in the closet for quite sometime now.
That doesn’t change that being black AND gay is worse than being white and gay.
Also the transgender/transexual situation is worse than the gay’s situation. Do we talk about that? Do we talk about how gay view transgender/transexual people in general? I don’t talk about the polished version but the dirty side.
Gay should want to be treated as GAY or more importantly HUMAN BEING not like black or white. Because this classification hurt us more than anything. People are human being before being hetero, gay, black, white…
I just cannot with this man or even with Jay-Z for that matter but as long as they are not promoting hate speech I will keep my venom towards them in check… for now. I will just cherry pick the good stuff.
Remember this is the same person who had an entire play conversation with Floyd Mayweather with a stack of 100 dollar bills against his ear like a child’s toy. Class and humility or even common sense are not his forte.
“I’ve encouraged same-sex activities. I’ve engaged in fetish areas a couple times. I’m for it.”
WTF???
I think he’s hiding some tendencies thus the homophobe comments in the past.
There is that little line Leviticus 20:13
Are you talking about the line that says wearing blended fabrics is an abomination?
LOL! and my morning has been made 😀
Another goody is Leviticus 21:16-23. Apparently Old Testament God doesn’t like people with disabilities either. :-\
50 is just trying to get his name out there and get attention. Let’s not pat him on the back just yet. He has never seemed sorry for any homophobic comments in the past and now he gives an endorsement only to completely muck it up in the next breath. He is spreading fear and he is ridiculous.
I think it’s a combination of maturity and jumping on the bandwagon with 50. More power to him though…at least he’s encouraging a positive agenda.
I’m not defending 50 Cent, and I remember being horrified/sad about some of the homophobic remarks he has made in the past, but I still see this as progress. He may still be a huge homophobe – but he’s still saying that he doesn’t care if gay people get married. Because what the argument about gay marriage should really boil down to is that it doesn’t make a difference if you or me or 50 Cent thinks being gay is right or wrong.
He’d better not get on an elevator with John Travolta, then. (Or go to the same spa; hotel; resort; or on the same cruise.)
There’s your Travolta joke, Kaiser! 😀
LOL! Wouldn’t that be a match made in delusional heaven.
so-to quote what someone else said-hes basically worried that gay men will do to him what he and many straight men have done to women for many years ie view him as a piece of meat. so much projection there, dont flatter yourself fiddy.
I wouldn’t say many straight men, I made a comment higher up which talks about this, I would be pleased if you read it…
Watched his interview with Oprah last night – it was really good! He is nothig what I thought he would be like – really down to earth. He may have had a hard life at one time but he has matured and all that bad boy image is just that – an “image!”