Rapper Lil Mama is starting a ‘heterosexual rights movement’ to defend herself from ‘LGBT+ bullying’
Lil Mama attends the Kim Shui runway show during New York Fashion Week on 9 February, 2020. (Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows/ Roy Rochlin)
Rapper Lil Mama has said she is starting a “heterosexual rights movement” to protect her from “bullying” by LGBT+ people, after she made transphobic comments.
Earlier this month, Michelle Obama sat down with 13-year-old Zaya Wade, the trans daughter of Dwyane Wade, for an interview.
But following the heartwarming Q&A, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta star Lil Mama decided to share her thoughts on Instagram, sharing a tweet to her story which read: “So children are too young to smoke cigarettes, too young to drink alcohol, too young to get a driver’s license, too young to go to a club, too young to gamble, too young to rent a car, but old enough to cut off their genitals and/or ‘change’ their gender? This is insanity America.”
She then appeared to refer to trans people as “depopulation at any cost”.
The rapper received swift backlash, but some of her followers claimed that the post was unsurprising, as Lil Mama has a history of transphobia.
In 2009, while judging the fourth season of America’s Best Dance Crew, she fired a transphobic rant at Leiomy Maldonado, a trans member of the dance troupe Vogue Evolution.
https://twitter.com/LordeCali/status/983048479848230912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E983048479848230912%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesource.com%2F2021%2F03%2F12%2Flil-mama-receives-backlash-for-transphobic-remarks-so-children-are-too-young-to-smoke-cigarettes-but-old-enough-to-cut-off-their-genitals%2F
She told her at the time: “Leiomy, come on. Your behaviour, it’s unacceptable. I just feel that you always have to remember your truth.
“You were born a man and you are becoming a woman. If you’re going to become a woman, act like a lady… You know what I’m saying? It gets too crazy and it gets confusing.”
https://twitter.com/reMARQable_/status/1372893774125359107
In response to the social media backlash over her anti-trans comments, both past and present, Lil Mama then declared that she would be starting a “heterosexual rights movement” to defend herself against “LGBTQ bullying”.
She wrote on her Instagram story: “Y’all fight so hard to be respected and SOME of you, NOT ALL, get a kick out bullying people for having an option [sic], how they dress, how their hair and or makeup looks, how much money they have, etc. There are so many people afraid to give their honest opion [sic] because if they do the LGBTQ+ will hear what they want to hear and take statements out of context.
https://twitter.com/atb__william/status/1372923097871958022
“I don’t have to prove myself by reminding people that I have loved ones of the LGBTQ+ Community. When I speak I’m not trying to hurt anyone, I’m just speaking my truth, just like you all.”
Social media users demanded Lil Mama “get a grip”, and declared that her transphobia meant her lip gloss was neither “poppin'” nor “cool”.
One adding: “Girl, the gays were only ones who bought and listened to her only hit ‘Lip Gloss’, like, the straights could never!
“She picked the wrong side me thinks, explains why her career flopped.”
