Eleven organizations representing people with HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community have signed an open letter to DaBaby following the rapper's homophobic remarks at Rolling Loud in Miami, and his subsequent apologies.
The letter, which calls for a dialogue surrounding "stigmas attached to anti-Blackness, living with HIV, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ attitudes and stereotypes," pleads with DaBaby to use his platform and celebrity to "heal not harm."
The letter begins:
We heard your inaccurate and harmful comments at Rolling Loud and have read your Instagram apology. However, at a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of colour, a dialogue is critical. We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities.
Among the signees are members and representatives from Arianna's Center, Black AIDS Institute, GLAAD, the Normal Anomaly Initiative, Prevention Access Campaign, Relationship Unleashed, the 6:52 Project Foundation, and leaders from the Gilead COMPASS Initiative including Southern AIDS Coalition, Emory University, the University of Houston and Wake Forest University.
The rapper has yet to respond publicly to the call-out, though, in his latest apology, he requested a chance for "education" on the matter of his transgressions, which is what these organizations appear to be offering.
As a result of his comments, DaBaby was recently dropped from numerous festival appearances including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Day N Vegas and more.
Read the full open letter via GLAAD's website.
The letter, which calls for a dialogue surrounding "stigmas attached to anti-Blackness, living with HIV, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ attitudes and stereotypes," pleads with DaBaby to use his platform and celebrity to "heal not harm."
The letter begins:
We heard your inaccurate and harmful comments at Rolling Loud and have read your Instagram apology. However, at a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of colour, a dialogue is critical. We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities.
Among the signees are members and representatives from Arianna's Center, Black AIDS Institute, GLAAD, the Normal Anomaly Initiative, Prevention Access Campaign, Relationship Unleashed, the 6:52 Project Foundation, and leaders from the Gilead COMPASS Initiative including Southern AIDS Coalition, Emory University, the University of Houston and Wake Forest University.
The rapper has yet to respond publicly to the call-out, though, in his latest apology, he requested a chance for "education" on the matter of his transgressions, which is what these organizations appear to be offering.
As a result of his comments, DaBaby was recently dropped from numerous festival appearances including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Day N Vegas and more.
Read the full open letter via GLAAD's website.
