Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher took to Twitter during the Euro 2016 soccer championship games to denigrate Russian fans by using a homophobic slur. After Russian fans started attacking fans from other countries in the stands, the frontman expressed his outrage by calling them “batty boys” – a Jamaican slur for gay men.
“Russian hooligans skintight shorts bumbags batty boy muscles ha ha I’d be more worried bout getting me arse pinched LG X,” the singer tweeted in a message reminiscent of playground taunts.
After the recent massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, users replied by the hundreds to Gallagher’s homophobic message, expressing outrage that he would contribute to a culture of violence against LGBT people. Twelve hours later, the singer “apologized” for his now-deleted slur in the most halfhearted tweet ever; he apologized to “anybody,” but especially his record label RKID.
It went over about as well as his original tweet. Go figure.
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If I've upset anybody with my tweets I apologise that includes you RKID as you were LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) June 16, 2016
don't apologise. Just get it. Batty boy is an insult as old as your last successful single.
— Cristo Foufas (@cristo_radio) June 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/MissEria_/status/743368458323238912
too little too late,should have thought about your words first ,
— 🏴Westie🇬🇧 (@therealdavewest) June 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/ColinCowe/status/743371545981161472
https://twitter.com/DeanSayers95/status/743389186280001536