A group of prominent HIV/AIDS organizations have reached out to rapper DaBaby for a private meeting after his controversial comments about people living with HIV/AIDS.
11 organizations, including GLAAD and the Black AIDS Institute, have requested a private meeting with the Charlotte rapper to educate him about HIV in the hopes that he could serve as a long-term advocate for the condition.
Dababy sparked outrage after making homophobic and factually inaccurate comments about sexually transmitted diseases during his recent performance at the Rolling Loud music festival. While onstage, he asked every audience member to “put your cell phone light up”, apart from those who were HIV-positive or were gay men who had sex in car parks. He also made the false claim that HIV will “make you die in two or three weeks”.
Since, he has been dropped from prominent festivals, including Lollapolooza, New York’s Governors Ball, Austin City Limits, and iHeartRadio music fest.
“We heard your inaccurate and harmful comments at Rolling Loud and have read your Instagram apology,” the letter reads.
“However, at a time when HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black Americans and queer and transgender people of color, a dialogue is critical. We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities.”
Elsewhere in the letter, the organizations wrote that DaBaby could be an important voice if he shared accurate information about HIV with his fanbase.
“You can be a powerful and influential voice, especially across your home base in the South, where the Black community’s needs are notoriously under-represented across every public spectrum,” the statement continues. “We encourage you to share this information with your fans and followers, and become an agent of truth and change.”
Earlier on Monday DaBaby shared a second apology, in which he said sorry for the ‘hurtful and triggering comments’ and claimed he used the backlash as a way the ‘educate’ himself about the LGBTQ community and HIV/AIDS.
“Social media moves so fast that people want to demolish you before you even have the opportunity to grow, educate, and learn from your mistakes,” he began.
“As a man who has had to make his own way from very difficult circumstances, having people I know publicly working against me— knowing that what I needed was education on these topics and guidance— has been challenging.
“I appreciate the many people who came to me with kindness, who reached out to me privately to offer wisdom, education, and resources. That’s what I needed and it was received,” he continued.
Adding: “I want to apologize to the LGBTQ+ community for the hurtful and triggering comments I made. Again, I apologize for my misinformed comments about HIV/AIDS and I know education on this is important. Love to all. God bless.”
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