Lil Nas X has kicked off his hot boy summer with a controversial kiss. Lil Nas kissed one of his male dancers at the end of his Egyptian-styled BET Awards performance of Montero: Call Me By Your Name (which was reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time). Many at the show applauded Lil Nas’s boldness for his representation of the queer community. But the online response was a different story. Instead of celebrating the announcement of the release of his debut album, Lil Nas found himself having to clap back against homophobic comments and trolls. Most comments were couched in respectability politics, stating that Lil Nas’s onstage kiss was inappropriate. Inappropriate for whom? Below are a few more highlights from USA Today:
The crowd roared loudly in approval with audience members jumping out of their seats in praise, but not everyone was receptive of Lil Nas X’s public display of affection. Some users on Twitter argued it was inappropriate.
Lil Nas X (real name: Montero Lamar Hill) took to Twitter Monday to address the homophobic comments.
“y’all hate yourselves so much. y’all live your lives trying your best to appease straight ppl. y’all are uncomfortable with what i do because y’all are afraid they will be uncomfortable with you,” he tweeted. “work on yourselves, i love who i am and whatever i decide to do. get there.”
Lil Nas X revealed in another tweet that his polarizing BET Awards performance was nerve-wracking for him and took “a lot of time to mentally prepare” because he knew he was “performing something like that in front of my straight peers.”
But he said, “if you don’t push yourself outside of your comfort zone you will never grow.”
When a critic accused “The Old Town” road singer of being “insecure about your sexuality” and “over compensating for it every chance you get,” Lil Nas X admitted that he is insecure.
“you’re right i am insecure about my sexuality. i still have a long way to go. i’ve never denied that,” he explained. “when you’re conditioned by society to hate yourself your entire life it takes a lot of unlearning. which is exactly why i do what i do.”
I am so tired of homophobes using their children and respectability politics as cover for their hatred. These are the same people who are not complaining about Madonna and Britney kissing on stage or the horribly misogynistic lyrics in the music they AND their children listen to. So how is a kiss onstage inappropriate? At least those who say they don’t like seeing two men kiss are being honest, but they don’t get a pass either. I love how honest, pure, and raw Lil Nas is about his insecurities around his sexuality. And he is right, gay children are taught to hate themselves. So it is bold and possibly cathartic for him to wear his queerness so loudly.
The purpose of art is to push boundaries and make us feel uncomfortable. It is a mirror to make us look at our own prejudices. In some cases art makes us see the parts of ourselves that we try to hide. I agree with Lil Nas that those being the loudest hate themselves or are hiding. As they say, a hit dog hollers. I do hope Lil Nas continues to make people clutch their pearls by pushing the envelope. There are more of us that support his courage than not. And for those who gaslight celebrities who make a big deal about coming out, this is why. Because it is not safe for them to be in the closet and it is not safe for them to live in the open. Anyways, I am going to go celebrate the Marvel inspired video announcing Lil Nas’s new album, because the man is uber talented.
you’re right i am insecure about my sexuality. i still have a long way to go. i’ve never denied that. when you’re conditioned by society to hate yourself your entire life it takes a lot of unlearning. which is exactly why i do what i do. https://t.co/PtiehZdDGS
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) June 28, 2021
“MONTERO” THE DEBUT ALBUM
COMING SOON! 🦹🏾♂️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/8UjXJWpYap— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) June 29, 2021
it took me a lot of time to mentally prepare for this performance. while on stage i was trembling knowing that i was performing something like that in front of my straight peers. even during the performance i was having a hard time calming my nerves. thank you guys for the love.
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) June 28, 2021
What’s the difference?! #CanWeTalkAboutIt It’s the double standard for me! #LilNasX #betawards2021 pic.twitter.com/RDRlFULnEh
— Mr. M (@_OliverMatthews) June 28, 2021
I juat recently watched Boy Erased wow its hard to fathom how such camps even exist in a first world country.
Really love him. He puts a lot of himself out there, vulnerabilities and all, while also shaking things up. There’s something about him that makes me feel fiercely protective.
Same. I love love love him and feel protective (same with Duchess Meghan). I love his really honest and vulnerable responses to the trolls too.
Go for it!
Let those bigots clutch their pearls!
On another news same days ago, Damiano David did the same in Poland to show suport to the LGBTQ+ community.
The week of male kisses.
Has he had any hits besides Old Town Road? He’s getting an awful lot of high profile gigs for a seeming one-hit-wonder.
Aurora, I was thinking the same. He young, attractive, and controversial without being mean, I guess that is enough to make him hugely popular. Honestly I think this song isn’t very good, but other than Old Town I don’t know any of his other work.
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) has been huge this year. Just him existing, unapologetically, in public, in the music industry in this way is huge. He’s earned his opportunities.
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) was released in March of this year and debuted at number one, so technically that makes it his second hit. I know time doesn’t make sense since the pandemic but Old Town Road was only released two years ago. He is only 22 and has a whole future ahead of him. That hardly warrants a dismissal as a one-hit-wonder. Other people have been more famous with less to show for btw.
I love Montero! First the tune catches you and then you start really listening to the lyrics. Wow.
I can’t wait to see what music he brings out next. I love that he doesn’t feel the need to confine himself musically to one tiny specific genre either.
He has had a few famous songs coming about after Old Town Road, it’s not a one hit wonder.
I mean… Google is free, and it’s right *there*.
Just ‘cause you’re not aware of his discography doesn’t mean he’s a one-hit wonder.
I kinda get it – my students listen to some artists I couldn’t recognize if my life depended on it, but it doesn’t mean they’ don’t have a strong musical presence, it just means I’m getting old and I’m not the target audience 🤷♀️
I didn’t watch the video but as far as I can see from the still it’s just one adult kissing another adult.
I did watch it. Just to see what all the outrage was about. You hit the nail on the head. It’s just two adults kissing.
If a person has no problem with gay people but feels uncomfortable seeing two men kissing or holding hands, then they need to continue working on deprogramming themselves from bigotry. From childhood, many of us were indoctrinated to believe that homosexuality is wrong. We are now old enough to know better and unlearn some of the beliefs that were forced on us. Perhaps seeing more men kissing in art and entertainment could help with that.
It’s especially important to address homophobia in the black community. I think it was much more controversial to do the kiss at the BET awards than it would have been at the Grammys. That took some serious guts. the black community’s homophobia upsets me terribly, as a cishet black woman. It’s driven me from church.
100% agree with you, lanne. The level of homophobia is off the charts. I love that Nas X is unapologetic. I hate that he pretty much has to be to survive!
Absolutely, Myra. People with Lil Nas’ courage need to keep doing it until no one is bothered anymore (and longer if they feel like it).
It wasn’t so long ago that two men holding hands on the street would invariably end up in verbal abuse on a good day. Literally within my lifetime, queer people, – most often men, but lesbian couples too – would regularly wind up in the hospital because they’d dared to be affectionate in public.
And we straight people need to rise to the occasion and have their back, because progress for the LGBTQ+ community, safety for LGBTQ+ youth benefits all of us.
good on him, but sometimes I don’t know what we’re supposed to be offended by these days. Is it okay for him to be dressing in Egyptian costumes?
Um..those are ancient Egypt costumes. Egyptians haven’t dressed like that for 3,000 years. I suppose you’re offended when people dress up as ancient Romans, or Druids? No, you’re just bitching about “cancel culture,” right? Ok Boomer.
and let the competition begin for who is the most woke
LOL +1 @Jules
It’s good of you to speak up for some dead king from 3000 years ago
I’m dead at this comment lmao
That’s both hilarious and very sad – the good old stand by of “we can’t say anything anymore.
Are you really concerned that profits from the award show might not benefit the Ptolemeids?
Are you seriously trying to ensure that the Ramessides are not facing cultural erasure? Do you have the same concerns when you see the Luxor Hotel in Vegas?
But seriously, ancient Egyptians have been gone for a while, that’s why the Italian gouvernement doesn’t write a strongly-worded letter to every campus frat throwing a toga party.
For the record, pharaohs of Lower Egypt and kings of Nubia/Kush were black people, so unless you want to lecture every random white person who’s ever dressed up as a Viking or ancient roman/Greek, you can let Lil Nas have this one, even if you’re unsure about him being a distant relative of Piye.
Lol omg yes
As long as the other guy was okay with it, I don’t see the issue. It’s 2021 for goodness sake.
I love him OLD TOWN ROAD
Good for him. I just think some a$$holes are upset they were a fan of his when he came out with Old Town Road only to later realize he’s not what they thought he was. They feel duped. LOL f*ck those morons. I hope he continues to be himself and his true fans will stick with him.
I don’t care about either kiss, but I’m puzzled by the nod to Madonna and Britney as in “that was ok, why isn’t this”. I distinctly remember the uproar and the criticisms of that kiss as well.
I love this dude. I am also old enough to remember that yes, people did freak out over Britney/Madonna/xtina (she was there too!) And yes people did say that was inappropriate. It was overshadowed by dudebros saying it was ‘hot’ (which is lesbian fetishization!). Let’s not even get into how cringey it was for 3 straight women to perform bisexuality for an audience.
pop culture keeps recycling the same old stuff, nothing new or shocking here
Lil Nas X is just proof to me that mainstream social tolerance of LGBT+ requires us to be Disney gays: sexless, quiet background. We got those marriage rights, sure, but that was never what they really hated about us, and they’ll begrudge us having anything else. Take heed. Homophobia didn’t go anywhere.
This
Maybe an unpopular opinion on this site, but I find him to be annoying.
Rainbow, you are not alone. Reminds me of an Instagram influencer. The kiss wasn’t being brave, who cares about gay men kissing anymore. It was all about getting attention. I haven’t seen anything about conservatives caring, they don’t watch BET award shows, so he is preaching to the choir. 😂 Face it, the cool “in” people now are gay, trans, binary, etc. Like tattoos on their ankles, pretty soon middle-aged moms will be saying they are binary and it won’t be as fashionable. Hopefully one day people will realize you don’t need a label, just be yourself.
Conservatives care plenty considering we’re literally seeing a surge of anti-LGBT+ legislation being passed in the red states. Superficial rainbow culture on social media platforms is not an accurate measure of the reality of what’s going on politically. Frankly, I’m eyeing this conservative wave with trepidation. It doesn’t bode well going forward.
He’s clearly getting a lot of backlash, I’m pretty sure it’s not coming from people who have no issue with homosexuality.
lol this entire comment. Tell me you’re terminally online without telling me you’re terminally online.
The internet amplifies marginalised voices, so of course you’ll see a lot of LGBT people being out and proud, but that’s not how it is irl. We still live in a deeply, violently homophobic and transphobic joke of a world.
“Hopefully one day people will realize you don’t need a label, just be yourself.”
Nah, I’ll stick with my regressive bisexual and trans labels and also be myself because that’s who I am, thank you for your input.
Thank you @wat. You said that really well.
How on earth are you two so confused?
People obviously care a lot since he’s getting heaps of grief over the kiss/ his sexuality.
Do you guys not listen to any hip-hop/rap (and other genres, rap is by no means exceptional in this respect but somehow always gets called out despite rock and pop’s dismal history of misogyny/hateful language)?
How can you convincingly believe it’s easy for him to exist as a black man, let alone a proud and out black gay man, be it in the rap community, the music industry, or just society as a whole?
Do you not see the laws that are passed to attempt to clamp down on hard-won LGBTQ+ rights? Do you not read about the hate crimes regularly committed against gay men, because it’s all fine and good to watch two women pretending to be into each other since that tickles straight men’s pickles, but god forbid a (black) gay man with an uncanny flair for social media and theatrics/costumes get in a little tongue action during a song that is *specifically* about his sexuality?
That’s a wild level of cognitive dissonance.
I think he should have ignored them because now the trolls get their tweets quoted by everyone, they love that. I really like Lil Nas X, I’m not his stan ( I only stan JLo lol) but he’s really showing the world that gays are sexual and not just Disney or Glee gays, ugh hated that trope of the sexless gay bff.
He is absolutely right. I saw him on LeBron’s show The Shop and LeBron mentioned that Lil Nas X was 6 feet tall. That surprised me because I thought he was shorter. I love him in the gold outfit. Hot, hot, hot.
I don’t like performative kisses it’s just weird for me. So the same goes for the Madonna with Christina and Britney, as well as the Shawn Mendes and Camilla one.
I mean, I don’t care for his music or him as a person, but I’m glad he exists and that he loves provoking homophobes and racists. I hope he’s taking care of himself (internet bullying is no joke) and drinking some hater tears to stay hydrated.
Lil Nas X is doing the good work. Never ever underestimate the incredible courage and work it takes for him to step proudly and creatively into his truth on the world stage like this, as a Black gay man in the rap industry, in public and in private. His out, loud, proud statements are *everything*. His artistic methods are brilliant, the layers of what he’s saying and how he’s saying it, the fashion, everything. He should be applauded, supported and protected.