Advocate: Azealia Banks Needs to Stop Using Homophobic Slurs

[Envi 765]

 

Azealia Banks finally dropped her anticipated album, Broke With Expensive Taste, two years after she made her way into our hearts with her single "212." She managed to stay in the press in the meantime with her constant Twitter beefs with rival artists, former team members, a manager, groups she was going to collaborate with  generally anyone Banks felt she needed to put down. Her fans, myself included, tried to forget those public social media fights and instead enjoyed her album. But Banks has, again, publicly defended her use of homophobic slurs, eclipsing her album for many LGBT listeners.

 

In an interview last month with The Guardian, Banks said she doesn’t regret her use of slurs and explained that by her definition the word “*******†specifically describes misogynists  because the word “misogynist†itself escapes Banks.

 

“A lot of gay men are way more misogynistic than straight men,†she said, adding, “You can be a straight *******, you can be a gay *******. A ******* is anybody that hates women.â€

 

Both Banks and Rose McGowan have made comments about gay men being just as misogynistic as straight men. How queer men treat women (both cisgender and transgender women) is something that definitely needs further discussion. But both of their arguments are lost on readers due to McGowan’s use of gay stereotypes and by Banks defending her use of slurs. 

 

Banks used the word “*******†last year during a run-in with gossip blogger Perez Hilton. Hilton had taken sides with rapper Angel Haze in her feud with Banks. Banks decided to tweet “@PerezHilton lol what a messy ******* you are.†She eventually apologized to those who were offended by her foul language (but really, the “I’m sorry if you were offended†apology is a non-apology).

 

In clarification of why she called Hilton a *******, Banks gave a slightly different definition, tweeting, "A ******* is not a homos-xual male. A ******* is any male who acts like a female. There’s a big difference.†She followed up that tweet by saying that as a bis-xual person, she understood the weight of the word, clarifying she should have said “acts like a ****†instead. Either Banks’s definition has evolved or she just can’t keep track of her definitions. That was a year ago, and she has since (perhaps recently) deleted those tweets. But she's still using homophobic slurs.

 

This past wednesday night, Banks went on yet another twitter rampage against Iggy Azeala as she accused the fellow rapper of cultural appropriation. During the twitter storm, her targets shifted on gossip blogger Perez Hilton tweeting,"You're still a ******* tho. LOLOLOLOL."Her defense, again, is that ******* is actually a term to define misognyst.

 

It seems that Banks doesn’t understand that no one can suddenly choose to self-define a word with decades of historical meaning. And while I in no way want to defend the likes of Perez Hilton, she is using a slur that has been used by and against queer men. It’s not a word she has any right to use. The word “*******†shouldn’t be in her vocabulary.

 

As GLAAD noted when she first used the slurs, “Our society knows that 'fa**ot' is a derogatory word for gay men, and in this case it was used to attack someone in a very public altercation with hundreds of thousands of fans and young people following.â€

 

So yes, this slur is primarily used on queer people who identify or present as male. It’s a derogatory term that has been used to attack our humanity and is associated with acts of violence against us.

The word “*******†has been scratched in my car and used on me in verbal attacks. I’ve heard that word spit at me while walking down the street, and for many of our queer brothers, it was the last thing they heard before their lives were taken from them. The word already has meaning, and for a lot of us it is intrinsically tied to violence.

 

I’ve discussed my thoughts before on the use of “*******†and why I don’t think it’s necessary to reclaim. Its origins are not completely clear, but the word is rumored to stem from the practice of burning homos-xuals hundreds of years ago. Since then, the term has been used outside of the queer male community as a derogatory term. I don’t have any problems if there are people who want to use it and reclaim it. But if it’s going to be reclaimed, it has to be done by queer men who have a stake in its use.

 

It’s unfortunate that we are even having this discussion, since Azealia Banks is part of the LGBT community. But being LGBT doesn’t automatically make you educated on the damage words cause. With her considerable influence, Banks can unfortunately cause a lot of damage.

 

What I wish she knew was that definitions are both academic and social. New social definitions that add negative associations to minority groups hurt our communities. Banks is only doing us a disservice when adding more negative connotations to the word, essentially working against us, while naively asserting it doesn’t reflect the queer male community.

 

When people are dying on the streets because of words like “*******†and the T-word, the argument isn’t about definitions but one about the humanity of those we have lost. Banks should celebrate her album and try to remain relevant through her art  not through her defamatory remarks. If she can’t find words besides slurs to use in beefs with other people, she’s really not that good of a lyricist after all.

 

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/12/05/op-ed-azealia-banks-needs-stop-using-homophobic-slurs

[Stephen 29,416]

who cares

[HANZ 4,380]

What's funny is that I know people are going to take her Igloo comments (which are valid, despite the aggression) and run with them, and completely not address her homophobic and misogynistic comments or make excuses for them because she's a black queer female. I guess hate and ignorance is acceptable as long as it's coming from oppressed individuals. This is why I can't fully commit to this social justice hullabaloo, I guess I can call her N*gger cause I am latino

 

here's your tea

 

[Paco 3,040]

who cares

i do, many people do

maybe you don't care about homophobia, but that your problem, and frankly sad

[Benji 20,113]

If it wasn't for the "f*ggots" she would be nowhere, it was in "f*ggot" clubs her tracks picked up steam and it's been pretty much the "f*ggot" community supporting her as a fanbase. I stan for her music but when it comes to her trying to put a point across using slurs I just sit back and laugh, it's like she has no education. According to her usage of the word f*ggot, I could call her a n*gger because I've made up my own definition of the word? I would never of course but honey, language doesn't work like that.

 

[Homogenik 5]

who cares

 

I do.

 

Very well written piece.

[Staryu 6,162]

I do think that, even if she's not using it as an anti-gay slur, she should stop using that word. For her fans who feel hurt when she uses it  (I'm not) and for her career.

 

Though, talking about this is kinda pointless since she clearly doesn't give a f*ck.

 

https://twitter.com/AZEALIABANKS/status/541738009583169536

[Willy Wonka 4]

Lots of good points made in this.

[inuborg 4,135]

If it wasn't for the "f*ggots" she would be nowhere, it was in "f*ggot" clubs her tracks picked up steam and it's been pretty much the "f*ggot" community supporting her as a fanbase. I stan for her music but when it comes to her trying to put a point across using slurs I just sit back and laugh, it's like she has no education. According to her usage of the word f*ggot, I could call her a n*gger because I've made up my own definition of the word? I would never of course but honey, language doesn't work like that.

 

She didn't use the word because she doesn't like gays, she used the word because she doesn't like Perez 

[Neal 768]

Lemme perch in the thread and wait for the delusional AB stans to come defend this.

[HANZ 4,380]

She didn't use the word because she doesn't like gays, she used the word because she doesn't like Perez 

I'm gonna call her N*gger but not because I hate black people, I only use the word because I don't like her

*in B4 it's not the same comments*

[Stephen 29,416]

i do, many people do

maybe you don't care about homophobia, but that your problem, and frankly sad

 

lmao im talking about people caring way too much about what azealia banks has to say. you can step off your high horse

[RainingOnMe 7,187]

Lemme perch in the thread and wait for the delusional AB stans to come defend this.

It happens everytime Nothing can excuse her from this nastiness.

I'm gonna call her N*gger but not because I hate black people, But I use the word because I don't like her

*inb4 it's not the same comments*

+1

[inuborg 4,135]

I'm gonna call her N*gger but not because I hate black people, But I use the word because I don't like her

*in B4 it's not the same comments*

I wasn't even talking to you, nor do I wish to. 

[Memo 176]

What's funny is that I know people are going to take her Igloo comments (which are valid, despite the aggression) and run with them, and completely not address her homophobic and misogynistic comments or make excuses for them because she's a black queer female. I guess hate and ignorance is acceptable as long as it's coming from oppressed individuals. This is why I can't fully commit to this social justice hullabaloo, I guess I can call her N*gger cause I am latino

 

here's your tea