If you can glean one thing from singer Ari Lennoxâs presence, itâs that she doesnât suffer fools. This aspect of her personality shines through in her songs, as well as her occasional Instagram livestreams and her tweets.
Over the weekend, Lennox ruffled some drab and dour hate-dusted feathers when she, without reservation or apology, declared that she hated homophobic and transphobic people.
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And before you can mutter to yourself, âWell, hate is a strong word, isnât it?â Lennox confirmed that yes, she knows, and itâs exactly why she said what she said.
Now, at this stage of Lennoxâs tweets, you might be wondering to yourself: Damn, would she really risk alienating actual and potential fans? To which Lennox revealed: Youâre fucking right.
âIf you donât support the LGBTQ community, you donât support me,â the âShea Butter Babyâ singer wrote. âYou donât support my family and the people I love. So all you delusional and fake religious/self-righteous weirdos unfollow and unsubscribe.â
Itâs unclear what sparked Lennoxâs outpouring of tweets, which totaled more than a dozen separate messages beginning Monday and going into Tuesday. She disavowed the âgay agendaâââno agenda can alter what is already innate,â she expandedâand got personal, writing about family who refused to show up to her sisterâs wedding because she married a woman.
âYou canât support your own flesh and blood because of years of unhealthy conditioning from religion and media,â she wrote. âPeople really live their short lives in a mental prison.â
And while Lennox frequently called out religion as a driver for homophobia and the âstraight agenda,â she made clear that there was plenty of room to be both religious and welcoming to the LGBTQ community.
âIâm not an atheist but obviously if you church people feel so bothered by my views, why the hell you listening to my raunchy secular music? Once again foh,â Lennox said.
LGBTQ issues and personalities have become more centered in mainstream American life in recent years, but that increased awareness and attention has also brought with it considerable backlash. The Trump administration has cracked down on LGBTQ protections; across the country, trans women of color continue to fall victim to intracommunity and state violence.
And while celebrities like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga have voiced support for their LGBTQ fans in the face of persistent discrimination, Lennoxâs words stand out for their bite: If you donât have love for the LGBTQ community, you can take your dollars and your time and spend them somewhere else.
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