Rapper Azealia Banks attacks GLAAD for criticism over calling Perez Hilton a ‘faggot’
American rapper Azealia Banks, has turned her attention to gay rights groups after receiving heavy criticism for an argument with blogger Perez Hilton, during which she called him a “faggot” for a second time.
In an interview with The Music, Banks described the criticism as “hypocritical”, and claimed that her “freedom of speech” was at stake because of it.
She also said that “there are such bigger problems” than using homophobic or racist slurs, and that she couldn’t understand why people thought she was homophobic because she is bisexual.
“It’s kinda bullshit, I feel it’s kinda like hypocritical,” she said. “For some reason this word faggot is still so offensive, it’s just strange to see why. There are all kinds of people who are against the N-word in hip hop music, there are all kinds of people who are against hip hop music in general because they see it as a negative influence on African American culture, you know what i mean?
“Why are all these other things like murder and sex and violence and all these other things accepted, but as soon as I call one gay white man a faggot, his feelings are more important… Freedom of speech, you know, and with freedom of speech comes the freedom to be offended, you know?”
She attacked the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, saying that she thought there were more important issues.
She said: “Fuck being a faggot, fuck being a nigger. Fuck being whatever… There are such bigger problems… and then you’ve got organisations like GLAAD, which are fucking complete bullshit.
“I mean let’s look at it, it’s gay and lesbian alliance against defamation, or whatever…. that’s what it stands for, right? I mean would you agree that homosexuals, and the homosexual community, have bigger problems than the word faggot, you know what I mean?”
She went on to say that, because she had sex with both men and women, she disagreed with the idea that she was homophobic by insulting gay men by using the word “faggot”.
“Some people are Satanists, some people are Christians, some people are Jews, Buddhists, you know what I mean? Some people are still Nazis… there are some people who are still KKK members… Come on people, please. If you’re trying to call me a homophobe, you’re basically trying to imply that I’m insulting you for having sex with men. I have sex with men too – what the fuck?
“I have sex with men and women, do I have to take a picture of my licking a fucking pussy? What the fuck! It doesn’t make any sense. It’s so stupid. It’s so stupid and it’s so evil. And it’s just like this stupid fucking media shit, you know what I mean? It’s the media shit. And this is why I go about myself the way the way I go about myself, and I do whatever the fuck I want. If the media is going to build me up to tear me down, you motherfuckers are not going to tear me down.
“I just make these fucking raps, and I’m just gonna wear these outfits, and fucking live my life. I can’t deal with you motherfuckers, I don’t have time for this shit.”
She concluded: “The fact that we’re even having this conversation means that it’s gone on too long. It’s just like, no. You know what I mean? Let’s talk about something else. This is just going to go in circles, you know what I mean? In 212, when I’m talking about licking pussy, and I’m like, outing the fag on 212, come on, let’s get over it. I mean end of fucking discussion. Next.”
The rapper later took to Twitter to claim that she was only accused of being homophobic because she is a female rapper.
She wrote: “This situation is a perfect example of how difficult it is to be a female who raps… Men in hip-hop beef and say faggot and all kinds of other craziness but I get shunned for doing it… I love how the media likes to pick and choose when to be offended.”
Film director Eli Roth, tweeted the rapper to say: “Keep doing what you’re doing, don’t stop or censor yourself ever.”
Banks is signed to Polydor, part of Universal Music Group. Despite her relatively modest profile in the UK, the BBC ranked her third in its ‘Sounds of 2012 Awards’. He debut album is due out next month.
