"It's time we stop expecting Black women to willingly take the short end of the stick."īanks, 31, has also said on Twitter that she's bisexual: "Why do gay men think everything I post about being gay is about them?! GIRLS ARE GAY TOO. "The idea that Banks should bow down or somehow feel honored that her work was stolen is nonsense, and her willingness to demand recognition for it should be applauded, not bashed," Cuby says. Writer Michael Cuby at Them maintains that Banks is a "permanent scapegoat," especially considering the lack of criticism for RuPaul for stealing Banks' flow on her song "The Big Beat." Some feel that Azealia's criticism of the LGBTQ+ community is warranted and that she gets so much pushback because she's a Black woman.
Queer musician Lil Nas X, with whom Banks recently said she'd been "keen" on collaborating, calls himself an Azealia Banks fan. Even if they don't understand Banks' history, using her songs for videos helps strip the art from the artist. It's also quite popular on TikTok - a platform where fans are quick to forget if creators are problematic. In a now-viral clip with The Breakfast Club, she agrees when asked if she makes music for gays: "I do.What now?" And Azealia hasn't ever denied that, either. Her music, which often incorporates genres like techno and house, is popular among fans, particularly gay men. Those who still support Banks have seemed to help her transcend any notion of cancel culture. Last summer, rapper DaBaby was canceled and later lost brand partnerships for inflammatory comments about HIV/AIDS and gay men at Rolling Loud Miami. Her quick wit and targeted criticisms are often funny on the surface - like when she said gay men were "appropriating horse culture" for wearing harnesses and taking ketamine, a drug often used as an equine anesthetic.īanks continues to benefit from the blank check handed to her by seas of gay men who show up to her concerts in droves. Perhaps her controversial nature and don't-care attitude are where her fans find redeemable qualities. Yet, try as she might to "bid adieu" to her gay fan base, she can't seem to shake her status as a celebrated gay icon. Tracks like "212" and "Luxury" from her debut album Broke With Expensive Taste are mainstays in gay clubs across the nation.Īt the same time, she has come under fire for saying those who take the HIV/AIDS prevention medication PrEP are addicted to sex and mentally ill, being captured on video calling a flight attendant a "f**king f**got" in 2015, and asserting that the LGBTQ+ community is akin to "gay white KKK's." But the question remains: Does she deserve it? There's no denying Banks has garnered a significant LGBTQ+ following. Azealia Banks, a talented rapstress known more for her loose Twitter fingers than for what she spits, is set to headline Wynwood Pride this weekend.