Jennifer Lopez Accused Of Queerbaiting At American Music Awards

Singer Jennifer Lopez has been accused of queerbaiting audiences with a same-sex kiss at the American Music Awards yesterday.

The 55-year-old danced to a six minute mashup of the 23 biggest songs of the year, including Good Luck Babe, Denial Is A River, and Espresso. 

The moment that has everyone talking came when J-Lo kissed one of her male dancers, then turned her head to the side and kissed one of the female dancers, before switching back to a steamy almost-kiss with the fist dancer.

“turned on cable and jlo is randomly queerbaiting at the american music awards,” wrote one X user.

Some fans weren’t bothered at all though, with another commenting that her performance was “irresistable”.

“I don’t know what to say anymore… this woman has no equal. One of a kind, breathtaking every time.”

Queerbaiting is a marketing tactic where media uses queer themes, imagery, plots, or lyrics to attract an LGBTQIA+ audience without delivering meaningful LGBTQIA+ representation. It’s often misused when audiences try to apply it to real life people, like celebrities, as we’ve seen in cases like Yungblood.

Queers cleaned up at the AMAs

Thankfully, there were plenty of authentically gay moments at the AMAs, including some big wins for some of our favourite queer celebrities.

Billie Eilish won all seven categories she was nominated in, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Favourite Pop Album.

Meanwhile Doechii won Social Song of the Year for “Anxiety”, Megan Thee Stallion bagged Favourite Hip-Hop Artist, and Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga, picked up Collaboration of the Year and Favourite Music Video for her duet with Bruno Mars on “Die with a Smile.”

Sapphic viewers were in for a treat with Reneé Rapp making her award show performance debut with “Leave Me Alone”, the new single off her second album Bite Me.

The former Broadway star only released the song a week ago, but it’s been making the rounds on the internet, with fans delighted by the delightfully cunty attitude Rapp is famous for.

The lyrics make reference to the demand for her second album, with: “Manager called me, said, ‘Where’s the single?’/ Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun/ ‘Oh you’re breaking up, babe, I don’t got no signal!’”

It also cheekily mentions her stint on the HBO show The Sex Lives Of College Girls, where Rapp played freshly out lesbian, Leighton Murray for the first two seasons. Rapp only returned for a brief appearance in season three before the show was cancelled.

“Signed a hundred NDAs but I still say something,” Rapp sings. “Took my sex life with me, now the show ain’t fucking.”