Lil Nas X Does Not Need Your Approval

This video is ridiculous in the best way. I remember when Lil Nas X first became a household name due to his incredible cowboy aesthetic catchy song, Old Town Road. He was fresh, he was strange, and most of all he was unafraid to put himself out there for our entertainment.

He has since then proven himself a social media darling with many of his tweets going viral. He has a sense of humor that resonates with the young LGBTQ crowd of which he very bravely came out being a part of. For any artists just starting out it is a tough choice in deciding whether they are going to be honest about their sexuality.

Lil Nas X has since spoken about what a tough call this was to make. Yet with this song and video he talks about his journey as a closeted Christian-raised person and uses Christian imagery to add to the story. Those clutching their pearls, much like they did when Cardi B's WAP dropped, follow the same rhetoric and outdated arguments.

I will be using Spongebob Meme format to explain why every argument is stupid.

Argument 1: ThEsE aRe HoLy ChRiStIaN iMaGeS

They side-step what the story is about to make it about themselves. In typical gaslighting fashion, arguers against the music video try to play the religious card on why they don't like it. Images of heaven and hell are prevalent in pop culture but of course this very gay and very campy judgement of said images suddenly makes them off-limits.

No one likes something that resonates with them being called out for the way it harms others. That being said, if you cannot accept that Christianity has been used as a way to hurt LGBTQ people (among many other types of groups) since, I don't know, the beginning of time, then you aren't accepting the reality of the religion. It is never easy to accept something you love hurts others but if you cannot be honest of what you are putting your time into then expect to be trolled for your ignorance.

Argument 2: hE iS fOrCiNg HiS sExUaLiTy On OuR iNnOcEnT eYeS

No one is making anyone watch this video. People that get offended by pop stars pushing boundaries are the biggest crybabies. If someone chooses to consume this media that is their choice to make. The idea that anything LGBTQ is thus unclean or no longer pure simply because of that is called homophobia. This is not a new concept and the fact that the rap world is still making this argument is laughable. Especially since this is a genre born from rebellion against the norm.

People look like absolute clowns trying to make these archaic arguments.

Lil Nas X put it best in how he responded to the haters about his music video and song.

These sentiments have resonated with LGBTQ people are over the world that have been traumatized by religion being used as a weapon against them.

He has always been a brave artist who faces haters with relatable humor but that does not mean we should not look deeply into how these hateful and dismissive comments about his work affect him and others that support him.

With US Senators targeting the 21-year-old star for his work one has to ask where the line of criticism ends and persecution begins. The use of the double punch of religion and political power has always been used to attack the less fortunate. It is alarming how the actual threat of these conservative voices is being ignored.

As a person who used a very mocking and light-hearted tone at the beginning of this article you may be thinking to yourself that I am the pot calling the kettle black here. Why would LBGTQ voices be sympathetic and religious ones not?

The difference is, the oppressor cannot be given the same sympathy as the oppressed.

Not to mention the racial element that is not often being discussed here. I think most people can agree that those that get offended by this kind of media are rather out-of-date. In a modern world of female empowerment and LGBTQ visibility, songs like WAP and MONTERO do not need to be defended. Yet when the old established ideas are questioned, there will always be people living in the past that will cry and complain about it.

It is the job of the more modern people to always call out those people and make fun of them for living in the past. It is not only being an ally to those often silenced minority voices, it is also common sense.

LGBTQ people do not need to polite to those oppressing them. Much like you punch first and ask questions later when a Nazi is around, one must always call out the absurdity of those trying to oppress others.