Lil Nas X found himself in hot water with some in the trans community after making a joke about transitioning.
The rapper posted a photo to Twitter of a glamorous-looking woman who looked a little bit like him. Lil Nas X captioned the image, “The surgery was a success,” suggesting he’d undergone gender-affirming procedures.
He was only kidding. However, some did not see the funny side. One Twitter user said that Lil Nas X, as a cis gay male, should not be using transitioning as a punchline.
you’re a gay cis male why are you making transitioning a punchline of a joke https://t.co/HNpGmzCcwK
— pocket (@islandthembo) March 14, 2023
At first, the ‘Call Me By Your Name’ star was defensive. He posted a follow-up tweet saying, “im literally just saying she looks like me y’all cannot be fuckin serious.”
— Chester (@Chester73147217) March 14, 2023
However, a short while later, he deleted the tweets and posted an apology.
“Apologies to the trans community i def handled that situation with anger instead of considering why it was not cool. much love to you guys. Sorry.”
Apology not accepted by everyone
However, not everyone was satisfied. One person said he needed to do more and suggested he should make a monetary apology to the trans community.
Lil Nas X appeared unimpressed by that suggestion, telling the poster, “Girl eat my ass.”
girl eat my ass https://t.co/EXs1p9vkaw
— i am reading all that (@LilNasX) March 14, 2023
That reignited the whole argument, with some saying he wasn’t listening to his trans critics.
idk telling a black trans woman to “eat your ass” after just apologizing for doing something tr*nsph*bic just gives that you never really apologized correctly in the first place basically proving her point. https://t.co/xNbliyE324
— SLAY LA VIE ✧ (@LOUIEFATTONS) March 15, 2023
Among those to come to the performer’s defense was trans actress and model Isis King.
She tweeted, “This fake outrage directed at Lil Nas X should instead be focused towards politicians, and law makers that are actually out here making a mockery of trans ppl. All of this press for Nas posting a picture of a girl that looks like him, are y’all for real? Stay focused, WTF.”
GlobeTrotter
The revolution devouring its own children…
Rambeaux
His appropriate final response should have been his first response.
abfab
He’s an airhead.
Kangol2
He’s got more than air in his head. Just listen.
drmiller
CPAC out here advocating to exterminate trans people from society, and idiots on the internet are mad at Nas X? That’s the real fking joke here.
still_onthemark
Twitter makes it so much easier to attack one’s allies than to attack one’s actual enemies, who aren’t going to respond at all.
Gabby
How did this happen? He made a funny joke about becoming a woman. How is this offensive?
abfab
Figure it out for yourself. Think about it.
still_onthemark
Perhaps the original complainer’s surgery doesn’t look like such a “success”?
Tallskin5
We should separate the L and G away from the rest of the alphabet soup. Being associated with the freaks and humourless loons in dresses is doing us immense harm and is going to set our achievements back decades
I’ve already noticed how people criticising the freak circus of autogynephiles and the mentally ill are now using the word “gay” to mean the autogynephiles.
But we warned this would happen.
MidCenturyQueen
Damn. Freaks and humourless loons? You must be British or something foreign. No, the answer is not to remove L and G away, it is to embrace the Q. As in Queer. We are all queer, drag or no drag. And don’t try and explain yourself with ridiculous terms. And who warned this would happen? You?
It is a shame that Lil Nas X cannot make a joke without being jumped on. He is not the enemy. Obviously you are.
abfab
So says the child of The Benny Hill era of Britain. Your brain is fried and your heart is empty. Your lack of humanity is clear.
bachy
Frankly, I increasingly feel that this kind of social media-embedded hysteria and drama doesn’t represent me. This small yet vocal component of the movement is heading in a direction that has little or nothing to do with my experience. I am alienated by how these people define themselves and I don’t relate to their fevered beliefs, practices, what they want or their strategy for achieving it. I can’t help feeling that the circus is heading toward a cliff.
Diplomat
And the “circus” is destroying the entire rainbow castle.
Ronbo
Batchy and Diplomat are 100% right.
What many don’t understand is that, given a choice between extremists on the right and extremists on the left, many people are choosing to reject them both!!! We are losing the political middle BECAUSE our extremists are replicating the repugnant attacks of the right.
Pier
Soooo offensive ….NOT. Our community turns on each other over stupid stupid shit at a time we need to get it together. The constantly butt hurt crew needs to get over it
abfab
So let’s all become Pier!
abfab
Butt hurt crew? What are you 9?
Kangol2
“Butt hurt”? Are you announcing you’re anti-anal or do not grasp where that term comes from? Casual homophobia in a comment trying to affirm LGBTQ people is pathetic at best.
Openminded
When did “butt hurt” become homophobic? This is the real problem with minority groups today. EVERTYTHING is construed as “anti” they. But I suppose is we make a monetary donation, it’s all better. That’s my other gripe with the “butt hurt” people today, seems they are fine asking for money to make their hurt feelings go away.
Ronbo
Abfab and Kangol want to cancel Pier because they don’t understand a word. It’s ironic AND hilarious! Be kind, not stupid.
butthurt
uk/?b?t.h??t/ us/?b?t.h???t/
ADJECTIVE
offended and upset, especially in a way that is silly or unreasonable
NOUN [ U ]
feelings of being offended and upset, especially in a way that is silly or unreasonable
Kangol2
@Ronbo, I don’t want to CANCEL anybody, so get off your high horse and find someone else to lie about. Criticism doesn’t equal cancelation, but your dim, extremist outlook fails to see that.
Also, one source of “butthurt” is that it originally referred to the effects of anal rape, i.e., a homophobic slur linked to gay sex in prison. From the Rice University Online Neologisms site: “Etymology : From Butt+Hurt, to mean pain from anal rape > Associated with distress and disappointment of defeat through analogy of rape to defeat. Source : Online forums, 10/23/11”
FreddieW
Humor is a mortal sin for anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA. But for gay men, it’s an asset.
inbama
In the old days, the crybullies would’ve reported his tweet to Twitter’s woke management, and Lil Nas X would’ve had his account suspended.
As much as I’m no fan Elon Musk’s politics, I have to applaud his ending the reign of terror.
Kangol2
Your fantasies about Twitter would probably amuse Melon Husk. You should share them with him.
inbama
Exactly what did I say that wasn’t true?
Kangol2
@inbambi: “The crybullies would’ve reported his tweet to Twitter’s woke management, and Lil Nas X would’ve had his account suspended.”
Clearly you’ve never read a word of Lil Nas X’s Twitter feed, including before Melon Husk took it over. “Woke managment” also did as much as it could to cater to right-wingers as possible but of course you seem not to grasp that.
Kangol2
Lil Nas X jokes a lot and has a sharp wit but this joke fell flat. He should have stuck with his apology and ignored any subsequent criticism because it was sure to come. He also may want to watch out when it comes to inviting people to eat his ass; some may take him up on the offer!
Openminded
The demands for monetary contributions to make their hurt feelings go away would have had me firing back just like he did. He apologized, the commenters should have accepted it as the truth without making demands for money. I’m near retirement age and I could still see the humor in his original post. People need to lighten up and not take themselves so seriously and not assume everyone is out to insult them.
BrownFriedRice
Our rights are under attack and this is what people are mad about? What idiots.
Ronbo
“Crybullies” seems apropos. The irony doesn’t go unnoticed: when groups encourage virulent hate, in order to enforce being woke. Kindness is rarely achieved when your means is hate. “The beating will continue until morale improves”
What is manipulation? When a discussion or comment, ANY discussion or comment, triggers people to call for cancellation while demanding apologies and retribution.
When will thin skin and lack of humor be cancelled?
Kangol2
Your comment fell apart the minute you typed the word “woke.” Try again.
Diplomat
Kangol2,
Woke could use some defining. Maybe you could contribute. Trans Leah Alexander the swimmer, was reportedly naked in the woman’s locker room in his full male body, totally flipping out the women. Is that considered a form of “woke”? One that you agree with?
Diplomat
Cat got your tongue there Kangie?
Diplomat
Cheer up sunshine. I’d be too embarrassed to speak too if my resume included support for misogyny this vulgar and hateful towards real women. But seriously dear, hiding under the bed is a bit much. Enjoy the dust bunnies.
Diplomat
So putting this in perspective: The butt hurt trans crowd wanted X to fund their base to allow males to bully and assault women by their mere presence in their bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams, driving women fking nuts, so he told them to fk off? And the problem is….?
IvanPH
I stand with Lil Nas X. There’s nothing offensive about his tweet. Trans Karens are making a mountain out of a mole hill
Tallskin5
People, trans genocide is happening NOW! You literally can’t walk the streets without seeing the bodies of Trans folx who’ve been deadnamed or misgendered, but the media aren’t reporting this. I’m going to expose this & despite several court orders, I won’t stop exposing myself! #LGBTQ+++