Just Stop

After defending DaBaby, T.I. calls LGBTQ people bullies

T.I. via Shutterstock.

Rapper T.I. has come to the defense of fellow hip-hop artist DaBaby following his homophobic remarks last weekend.

T.I. took to Instagram to criticize the gay community for its response to DaBaby, who had blamed gay men specifically for spreading AIDS. T.I. has objected to the criticism, claiming DaBaby was the real victim in the situation.

Related: Rapper DaBaby trashes gay fans, HIV patients in unhinged rant

“Now, I understand people saying that they feel it’s insensitive. I think you guys have to understand that onstage is not the place that rappers go to be sensitive and soothe everybody’s feelings,” T.I. said in the post. “If that is the case, why do words cause such a visceral reaction that will lead to someone trying to attack, villainize, demonize, crucify, condemn?”

“That sh*t is…Now you bullying,” he continued. “We all stood up on behalf of gays and lesbians and people in the gay community because we thought it was some bullsh*t for y’all to have to be bullied. But I don’t think any of us did that to feel like you would now have the authority to come and bully us.”

T.I. had previously defended DaBaby in a conversation with comedian Zoie, claiming DaBaby had not tried to offend anyone.

“I’m not trying to excuse anything. I’m only merely attempting to explain how it could be tangled in some confusion,” T.I. said at the time. He also had previously defended DaBaby by attacking gay rapper Lil Nas X on social media saying “If Lil Nas X can kick his s**t in peace…so should dababy.”

In the wake of the criticism over his comments, DaBaby released an apology on Twitter July 27.

“Anybody who done ever been effected [sic] 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 tweeted. “But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”

DaBaby then added insult to injury by releasing a new video with further references to AIDS.

Despite the apology, DaBaby has continued to endure criticism from Dua Lipa, Elton John, Lil Nas X, Madonna, Questlove and more. A music festival in the UK also dropped him from its planned lineup earlier this week.

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