Stormzy named BBC’s Musician of the Year weeks after apologising for homophobia
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: Stormzy and Boy Better Know perform on stage at Red Bull Culture Clash at Earls Court on October 30, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images for Red Bull)
Just weeks after apologising for a string of homophobic tweets, Stormzy has been named the BBC’s Musician of the Year.
Back in November, Stormzy apologised for a flood of homophobic tweets discovered by PinkNews.
The British grime performer repeatedly accused people of being “a faggot,” “a fag” or “gay,” including a child on TV who he called “a f***ing fag,” in the posts made between 2011 and 2014.
(Getty and Twitter/Stormzy1)
He was given the honour at the BBC Music Awards this weekend.
Stormzy was given the award alongside upcoming star Declan McKenna, who sings about issues such as conversion therapy for LGBT people.
McKenna thanks the BBC “for relentlessly rooting for me throughout the years”, after he uploaded songs to the BBC Introducing site when he was 15.
Apologising, also in a string of tweets, Stormzy called his past comments “foul and offensive,” and spoke directly to the LGBT+ community when he offered his “deepest apologies”.
Stormzy has deleted some of the offensive tweets, but most of the 19 homophobic posts remained on his account when he posted the apology,
(Twitter/stormzy1)
This included tweets calling people and things “gay,” “so gay” and “proper gay”.
One asking “R u a fag??” is also still online.
(Twitter/stormzy1)
In his lengthy apology, Stormzy wrote: “I said some foul and offensive things whilst tweeting years ago at a time when I was young and proudly ignorant.
“Very hurtful and discriminative views that I’ve unlearned as I’ve grown up and become a man.
“The comments I made were unacceptable and disgusting, full stop,” he added.
“Comments that I regret and to everyone I’ve offended, I am sorry, these are attitudes I’ve left in the past.
(Twitter/stormzy1)
“The homophobic language I used was, embarrassingly, a part of my vocabulary when I was younger and ignorance made me feel comfortable to use them whilst not understanding the hate and the ramifications they carry.
Stormzy, who has hit headlines for his vocal support of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, continued: “That isn’t an excuse, I take responsibility for my mistakes and hope you can understand that my younger self doesn’t reflect who I am today.
(Twitter/stormzy1)
“Again, I’m sorry to everyone I’ve offended. To the LGBQT community and my supporters and friends, my deepest apologies “.
(Twitter/stormzy1)
His tweets stated that it was “proper gay” for men to dance, style their hair, show affection towards other men, not have sex before marriage or own a teddy bear.
Stormzy, whose debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, became the first grime album to go to number one in the UK, also showed he thought it was extremely funny to position masculine stereotypes in opposition to homosexuality.
(Getty)
The revelations follow the unearthing of offensive online posts from other figures in the worlds of entertainment and politics.
Labour suspended Jared O’Mara MP last month after he allegedly referred to gay people as “fudge packers” and “poofters”, also alluding to anal sex as “driving up the Marmite motorway”.
And last week, famous YouTuber Zoella apologised for mocking gay and transgender people on Twitter.
The 27-year-old, who has more than 12 million subscribers, tweeted in 2010, when she was 20: “I find it funny when gay men spit…it’s like they’re trying to be a bit macho but never works…”.
(YouTube/zoella)
And in 2011, writing to beauty YouTuber Tanya Burr, Zoella said: “Are they honestly letting a tranny in a policeman hat speak to them like that? How odd! Haha x”.
The revelations came as a shock to supporters who have seen the star repeatedly speak out in favour of LGBT rights.
(Getty)
And Gay Times editor Josh Rivers was sacked after it was discovered that he had tweeted offensive comments.
Rivers insulted transgender people, lesbians, women in general, Jews, Asians, Africans, the homeless, anyone he thought was “fat” or a “retard” – and old people.
