Photo Credit: Jack Harlow/Instagram
Lil Nas X just won Outstanding Music Artist at the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards at the Hilton Midtown in New York Friday, May 6th and yet still with his success, he still receives quite the share of unfair hate about his sexuality. At least that is what his friend and collaborator on his song Industry Baby Jack Harlow said in an interview with The Guardian.
“The totally inappropriate reaction to him lets you know that we still have some progress to be made,” Harlow said, referring to Nas’ sexuality. “And you hear it in passing; there’s still some homophobia going on.” He continued: “But he’s taking the hit that artists won’t have to take in the future. That’s what makes him a hero.”
In October Harlow told British GQ he was “attracted” to Lil Nas X “as an artist” because “he’s at the front and centre” of the drive for inclusion in the music industry. He also said in his new interview that not only is there a “long way to go” but that people will always “feel like you are forcing” being gay “down their throats”.
He acknowledges the different perspectives people have saying, “But I just realize there is a fundamental difference with how the world is seen by some people. Some people think certain things are wrong,” he said about the people that warned him about working with Nas X. “There are some people, at the root level – although they don’t want to hurt any gays; they don’t hate gays – they think it is wrong, whether it’s religion or whatever reason it is. But for me, I have never been this way.”
Ironically I personally have had to witness this occurring in my own area in politics. In DC right now, a man is running for city council, Zachary Parker, who decided to come out and now for a number of days an opponent of his, Vincent Orange has repeatedly berated him and questioned his decision to come out in the middle of the election. And it’s caused everyone around to be uncomfortable.
But in short, Harlow is right. The notion that we’ve entered into this completely accepting society is nonsense. While plenty of progress has been made, plenty is left to be had.
