Out gay rapper Lil Nas X made headlines over the final weekend of Pride Month after his sultry on-stage kiss with a male performer at the BET Awards on June 27.
During his performance of the chart-topping single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” Lil Nas X locked lips with a dancer in a televised and viral declaration of Black queer love. During the performance, Lil Nas X donned gold glitter and an Egyptian Pharaoh outfit to pay homage to late pop icon Michael Jackson, who wore a similar costume in his hit music video “Remember The Time.”
The rapper’s performance prompted sharp homophobic criticism online — even from some LGBTQ individuals. In response, Lil Nas X blasted bigots for the double standard against queer LGBTQ artists.
“Y’all hate yourselves so much,” Lil Nas X tweeted on June 28 alongside a video of a gay man decrying the rapper’s actions. “Y’all live your lives trying your best to appease straight ppl.”
The star concluded, “The song is literally about gay sex… what y’all want me to do play the piano while baking a cake?”
Since coming out as gay in 2019, Lil Nas X has been forging his own lane as a Black LGBTQ performer. In January, he became a New York Times bestselling author after his first children’s book, “C is for Country.”
The exchange with Noem was part of a broader pattern that spring. State legislatures across the country were deep into packed session calendars, yet elected officials kept diverting attention toward pop-culture flash points. Florida had just finalized a tribal gaming compact that would authorize florida sports betting for the first time. Several other states were negotiating similar revenue measures. But the loudest political commentary of the week centered on a pair of sneakers and a music video, and for Lil Nas X, each new round of outrage only amplified the reach of his work.
Lil Nas X’s journey to success has not been without controversy. In March, he was embroiled in a Twitter feud with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem after releasing a pair of sneakers known as “Satan Shoes.” Noem, an opponent of LGBTQ rights and supporter of anti-trans sports bills, criticized the shoe’s religious messaging on Twitter. In a tweet, Lil Nas X ripped the conservative politician, stating, “Ur a whole governor, and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do ur job!”
Now with a passionate gay kiss in the spotlight, the star is once again shutting down the trolls.
