Lil Nas X is defending himself from the backlash that arose after he wore an elaborate gown at the 2021 BET Awards then kissed one of his male backup dancers during an Egyptian-themed performance of his single, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)."
While many applauded the rapper, who came out as gay in 2019 during Pride Month, for his courage, others took issue with his clothing and on-stage antics.
One Twitter user blasted him for kissing another male, noting that there were kids watching the show, while another stated that "being gay doesn't mean you have to look or act the part of a fem." Another accused him of being insecure about his sexuality and "overcompensating for it every chance you get."
"You’re right i am insecure about my sexuality," Lil Nas X responded honestly. "i still have a long way to go. i’ve never denied that. when you’re conditioned by society to hate yourself your entire life it takes a lot of unlearning. which is exactly why i do what i do."
In another Tweet, Lil Nas X wrote, "y’all hate yourselves so much. y’all live your lives trying your best to appease straight ppl. y’all are uncomfortable with what i do because y’all are afraid they will be uncomfortable with you. work on yourselves, i love who i am and whatever i decide to do. get there.
He later opened up about the fear he felt before his BET Awards performance.
"it took me a lot of time to mentally prepare for this performance," he tweeted. "while on stage i was trembling knowing that i was performing something like that in front of my straight peers. even during the performance i was having a hard time calming my nerves. thank you guys for the love."
Lil Nas X is known to stir controversy. Earlier this year he sparked outrage with the release of his limited-edition "Satan Shoes," which featured a pentagram as well as an inverted cross and a drop of human blood that was infused with red ink and inserted in the air bubble sole. The shoes, which were part of a joint collaboration with New York-based art collective MSCHF, also featured Nike's "swoosh" logo, which resulted in a lawsuit from the brand and ultimately saw a judge grant Nike's request to block sales of the "Satan Shoes."
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