Why we all Should Support Lil Nas X
It’s time we get our priorities straight.
Lil Nas has pulled off, what I think, one of the better marketing efforts of the last 20 years. And in the process, he has exposed some the hypocrisy that is at the core of religious extremism. He has created a beautiful video (MONTERO - Call Me By Your Name), a thought-provoking song, and has done more good than harm to people than the Governor of South Dakota will do in a lifetime of lifetimes. Watch the video:
Hypocrisy abounds, particularly in the American version of Christianity. And I think it is time to call bullshit. Call bullshit on the members of congress, governors, and state legislators who hide behind their shields of Christianity while lying, cheating, and manipulating the public to serve their own personal agendas. Call bullshit on the “outrage” expressed by conservative Christians while families go hungry, are ravaged by the opioid crisis, or suffer from gun violence in their neighborhoods because we can’t seem to figure out how to help the people who need it most.
Lil Nas X’s crime is that he is gay and he is not interested in hiding it. And, apparently, Jesus and God hate that most of all.
I had intended to write a defense of him, his work, his latest video, and the shoes. But I think he has done a better job than I ever could (see below). What I will say, is that you SHOULD watch the video. You SHOULD show it to your children and use it to have a discussion about why, in the world we now live in, many people live in fear of expressing who they are because of rampant homophobia. You SHOULD support Lil Nas X because he stands for the very freedom that many of these same conservatives claim they support when they wrap themselves in the flag and proclaim the certainty of their God-given rights. Buy the song (I am old-school like that), and watch the video every few days, stream it every time you get the chance, and look-up the lyrics and reflect on what it means to NOT be heterosexual in our society.
Let’s not forget that homosexuality was illegal in the UK until 1967 and didn’t get decriminalized in Scotland until 1980. In the 1900’s the UK was actually chemically castrating people who were gay. In the United States it wasn’t until 2003 that the Supreme Court ruled that state and local laws outlawing homosexual activity were unconstitutional. 2003! If you care about racial justice, equality for women, and reversing income inequality—then you should absolutely care about this.
One last comment I would make about his exploiting “children” by using the popularity of his previous song (a duet with Billy Ray Cyrus) that became popular among children, Lil Nas X, himself, said it best:
“U decided to let your child listen. blame yourself.”
Inform yourself, check out the piece in VOX by Aja Romano: Lil Nas X’s evil gay Satanic agenda, explained - I think she does a masterful job of getting to the root of why this is even a thing.
Here is Lil Nas X’s defense in his own words:
“i spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the shit y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay, … so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.”
Before you freak out about the shoes, the video, or the visuals used in his video not being appropriate for children, consider the damage that some Christians are causing by being the most hateful and judgmental group in America today.
- M
This essay represents the opinion of the writer and should be considered as such. Any thoughts or statements about persons real or imagined are opinions.
Copyright © 2021 - Malcolm Bolivar. All Rights Reserved.