By Okla Jones ·August 2, 2021August 2, 2021
Shortly after DaBaby’s scheduled performance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival was canceled, the promoters of Day N Vegas, Governors Ball, and Parklife in Manchester, England, all removed the controversial rapper from their respective lineups.
DaBaby – born Johnathan Lyndale Kirk – apologized (again) today for making homophobic comments amidst backlash from other artists, as well as fans. In reference to a series of misogynistic remarks about AIDS and H.I.V. made during his performance at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami on July 25, DaBaby went on Instagram to acknowledge his wrongdoing.
“I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made,” he said. “Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important.”
He also spoke to the widespread condemnation towards his comments, along with the message reinforcing what he said at Rolling Loud in the visuals for “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give.”
“Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes,” he said. “As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I know publicly working against me — knowing that what I needed was education on these topics and guidance — has been challenging.”
In a previous “apology” that DaBaby posted on Twitter last week, he admitted that his remarks were “insensitive,” but also stated that it had been digested wrong. “Anybody who done ever been affected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies.” He also added, “But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
Contrary to DaBaby’s statements, HIV is no longer the death sentence that it was considered to be years ago. Deshawn Usher, GLAAD’s Associate Director of Communities of Color said in a statement, “The rhetoric that DaBaby used is inaccurate, hurtful, and harmful to the LGBTQ community and the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV. It is critical that DaBaby and his fans learn that people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV.”
Hopefully the backlash for his comments will lead to a genuine change in perception towards the HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ+ community.
TOPICS: da baby
The post After Being Removed From Several Festival Lineups, DaBaby Wants ‘Opportunity To Grow’ appeared first on Essence.
