Lil Nas X puts his money where his mouth is with emphatic show of solidarity with Black trans lives
Lil Nas X. (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty)
Lil Nas X has emphatically come out swinging for Black trans lives in a powerful statement on equality and discrimination.
The “Old Town Road” singer, who came out as gay in July 2019, spoke out about the need to protect Black trans lives in an interview with Vogue.
The rapper, 21, has just launched a new spring collection with designer Christian Cowan, the mastermind behind Lil Nas X’s 2019 VMAs outfit.
In a joint interview about the collection, the pair revealed that 100 per cent of proceeds will be donated to the Black trans community in Atlanta, Georgia, where Lil Nas X is from.
The pair explained that they felt a need to do something constructive following Pride Month and Black Lives Matter protests across the United States.
“The trans community, especially the Black trans community, is one of the most looked down upon groups in the entire world, and the least cared for,” Lil Nas X said.
Cowan added: “There’s been so many attacks on the trans community, even within the past few months, and it’s not publicised enough in the US. People forget that the entire Pride movement was started by Black trans women.”
Proceeds from their new gender neutral collection – which is inspired by the punk and queer movements of the 1970s – will benefit Black queer youth through a fund set up with the Loveland Foundation, a non-profit that provides support and therapy to Black girls and women.
Lil Nax X planned to die with the secret of being gay.
Lil Nas X was catapulted to global fame when his song “Old Town Road” went viral on TikTok in 2019.
During Pride Month that year, Lil Was revealed on Twitter that he was gay.
Speaking to The Guardian in April, the country rap star revealed that he had planned to die with the secret of being gay before he became a household name.
Since coming out, he has been determined to be a vocal advocate for queer rights – and he wants to help fans express themselves too.
“I 100 per cent want to represent the LGBT+ community,” he said, adding that he also worries about the safety and wellbeing of fans who may grapple with the decision to come out.
“I don’t want to encourage them to do something they don’t 100 percent want to do. Especially in, like, middle school or high school. Because it’s just super hard.”
He admitted that it’s “easier” for him, because “I’m not depending on anybody. There’s no one who’s going to kick me out of the house – nobody to start treating me s***ty.”
