Legendary out musician Elton John responded to anti-LGBTQ and HIV-phobic comments made earlier this week by Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby.
“We’ve been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show,” John tweeted, adding that DaBaby’s tirade “fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.”
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“If you didn’t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that’ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up,” DaBaby said at the Rolling Loud Miami festival this past weekend to try to get the crowd energized.
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“Fellas, if you ain’t sucking dick in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up,” he said.
Video of his comments went viral and John wasn’t having it. He said he was “shocked” to learn what DaBaby said and tried to educate people.
“You can live a long and healthy life with HIV,” he tweeted. “Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can’t pass it onto other people.”
“Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalised people in our communities,” he concluded. “A musician’s job is to bring people together.”
(1/5) We've been shocked to read about the HIV misinformation and homophobic statements made at a recent DaBaby show. This fuels stigma and discrimination and is the opposite of what our world needs to fight the AIDS epidemic.
The facts are: pic.twitter.com/MqCv3vWiz2
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) July 28, 2021
(3/5)
👉 In America, a gay black man has a 50% lifetime chance of contracting HIV. Stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality is a huge driver of this vulnerability. We need to break down the myths and judgements and not fuel these.
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) July 28, 2021
(5/5)
👉 Homophobic and HIV mistruths have no place in our society and industry and as musicians, we must spread compassion and love for the most marginalised people in our communities.
A musician’s job is to bring people together.
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) July 28, 2021
His fans were there for it.
Oh you know fckd up when Sir. Elton gotta come off his throne chile pic.twitter.com/mxdlocXTfS
— Lost Edges of Candace (@nching0) July 28, 2021
Let’s not forget that Elton knows this disease firsthand. He watched many friends suffer disctimination, bigotry and physical suffering from this disease. One of his friends was Freddie Mercury who died in 1991 at the height of the epidemic & hysteria.
— 🐞Charlene🐞 (@spiritofladybug) July 28, 2021
Elton John: saturday night's alright for fighting
DaBaby: *makes homophobic comments*
Elton John: You know what, wednesday morning's alright too pic.twitter.com/weHTSLFLeW— Tiki John's Magic Island Grill & Barcade (@madyearout) July 28, 2021
When Sir Elton John takes the time to personally call you out and correct you, you know you messed up.
— Mary-Ann Maronski (@MaryAnnMaronski) July 28, 2021
Oh my god he woke up the sleeping giant it's over
— Medium Ugly Steak (@UhhSpellMyName) July 28, 2021
You are a magnificent speaker for the HIV and lgbtq+ community. The work you have done for these people will never be forgotten. 🤍🌈
— Croki 🐊 (@LokisHairFlip) July 28, 2021
If elton john told me to shut up by name i would just move to the wilderness never to be seen again
— Gigi ⁷ (@lavendersun_art) July 28, 2021
DaBaby apologized last night, before John’s tweets.
“Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies,” he wrote.
“But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.”
Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV y’all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies 🙏🏾
But the LGBT community… I ain’t trippin on y’all, do you. y’all business is y’all business.
— DaBaby (@DaBabyDaBaby) July 27, 2021
