Rapper and noted provocateur Lil Nas X mocked the anti-gay legislation in Uganda by tweeting a joke. People online said it was not appropriated.
The Georgia native understands discrimination growing up in the South and has created a career pushing the boundaries and boldly standing for same-gender loving communities and not groups who don’t fit into Anglo-Saxon heteronormative boxes.
In that spirit, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, tweeted, “where do the gays be in africa i wanna come there.”
where do the gays be in africa i wanna come there
— ☆ (@LilNasX) March 22, 2023
His tweet was received with mixed reviews. Many say the comment was dangerous for those he is believed to want to support.
The comment comes after the Uganda parliament passed a bill to oppress the LGBTQIA community in the country, punishing them with up to 10 years in prison for just claiming a sexual identity outside of 1 male and 1 female.
According to CNN, the bill proposes that “the death penalty can be invoked for cases involving ‘aggravated homosexuality’ – a broad term used in the legislation to describe sex acts committed without consent or under duress, against children, people with mental or physical disabilities, by a ‘serial offender,’ or involving incest.”
The chairperson for legal and parliamentary affairs Robina Rwakoojo presented the amendments, and read, “A person who commits the offense of aggravated homosexuality and is liable, on conviction to suffer death.”
TMZ reports many people came up against the “Old Town Road” rapper for his slick comments.
“This is so insensitive especially after Uganda just announced the harsh punishment of even identifying as being LGBTQ,” he said.
Someone also said, “Ain’t they passing laws to unalive the g## community over that way? That isn’t anything to even play with. Stay safe.”
Yet another person called him a “very insensitive young man.”
Adding, “Don’t let attention and relevance be the core of your existence and confidence. Just. Be a solid individual.”