Lizzo Calls Out ‘Complicit Silence’ Perpetuating Transphobia, Racism & Fatphobia
Lizzo has some thoughts. In a series of tweets Wednesday morning (March 8), the musician opened up a conversation about how issues such as transphobia, racism and fatphobia intersect.
“Transphobia is lookin real rooted in racism right about now…,” she began in a tweet before following it up with another. “I’ve never heard a person say why they’re racist… Or fatphobic.. I’ve never heard a reason why someone is transphobic.. I think if we knew ‘why’ these people felt this way there would way less support for these ideals. Because the ‘why’ is more insidious than we realize.”
Later, the “About Damn Time” singer posted a clarification. “Don’t get it twisted— I don’t care why people are bigoted,” she wrote. “That’s a waste of my imagination. I feel like there’s a lot of complicit silence and apathetic participation going on that wouldn’t fly if people knew more.”
Some of her followers were quick to join in on the discourse she started, with one fan agreeing that “forcing people to admit specifics as to why they hold awful positions helps others see how horrid it is.”
“A friend of mine always says ‘hate is hate,'” another fan replied. “It’s all intertwined and one always connects to the other no matter what they try to tell us.”
The Yitty founder has long been an activist for social justice and inclusivity, and maintains her support for causes such as abortion access, LGBTQ rights and anti-racism through her website, Lizzo Loves You.
Just three days prior to her latest tweets, she posted her thoughts on the return of the once famous Victoria’s Secret fashion show, which hasn’t aired in four years since the brand canceled its 2019 show amid increasing criticism of its historic lack of diversity and inclusivity.
“This is a win for inclusivity for inclusivity’s sake,” she tweeted Sunday (March 5), re-sharing a video teaser for the show that showcased several plus-size women of color. “But if brands start doing this only because they’ve received backlash then what happens when the ‘trends’ change again? Do the CEOs of these companies value true inclusivity? Or do they just value money?”
See Lizzo’s recent tweets about intersectionality and inclusivity below:
Hannah Dailey
Billboard
