Rapper Twitter war results in gay slur
A Twitter war between two American female rappers escalated to gay slurs directed at celebrity blogger Perez Hilton last week.
The outspoken pair of Azealia Banks (pictured) and Angel Haze originally started sparring with each other after Banks criticised some of her peers who claim to be New Yorkers but were born elsewhere.
After a few days of the seemingly endless spat, Hilton stepped into the fray by tweeting that Banks was being “hurtful” and “pathetic”. Banks responded with fiery tweets and the blogger was eventually called a “messy fa**ot”.
The rapper, who has previously described herself as bisexual, later ‘clarified’ her comment by stating that she uses that word to describe men that act like women.
“A fa**ot is not a homosexual male. A fa**ot is any male who acts like a female. There’s a BIG difference,” Banks tweeted.
Criticism of Banks has been widespread, with other celebrities openly disparaging the rapper for her remarks. Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, who has collaborated with Banks in the past, reprimanded her ignorant use of derogatory language and subsequent “apologies”.
“Oh yeah. ‘Fa**ot.’ Totally cool. Give me a f**king break,” Shears tweeted.
“It’s all about context. And right now, I’m sorry, but context is not on your side.”
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) also chastised the rapper for her usage of gay slurs.
“Banks’ claim that the word “fa**ot” doesn’t mean a gay male is not true,” GLAAD posted on its website.
“Regardless of her intent or her personal definition, what matters is the meaning given to that word by those who hear it, and the damage it causes when they do. Undoubtedly there are gay kids who follow her on Twitter…this word hurts those kids, no matter what Banks meant by it.”
