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Rapper T.I. says gays are "too sensitive"
By Jeff MillsNovember 27th, 2011, 8:45 pmComments (31)
Atlanta rapper/actor T.I. (Clifford Harris) has plenty of street cred, thanks to his various drug and firearms charges, as well as probation violations, which have led to numerous stints in county jail and prison. But the self-proclaimed "King of the South" appears to have lost some credibility with the gay community, after his recent remarks to Vibe magazine that gay people are "too sensitive."
During the interview for the December/Janauary issue of Vibe, T.I. brought up the subject of Tracy Morgan's controversial June stand-up routine, in which Morgan unleashed a homophobic rant that included a joke about stabbing his son to death if he ever came out as gay. Engaging in real talk, T.I. said:
"Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy say during a stand-up was, 'C'mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive. If you can take a dick, you can take a joke.' [Cracks up laughing.] That shit was funny to me. And it's kind of true."
Attempting to bolster his argument, T.I. alluded to his First Amendment rights:
"They're like, 'If you have an opinion against us, we're gonna shut you down.'...That's not American. If you're gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you're against it you should have the right to be against it in peace."
Sharply disagreeing with T.I.'s line of thinking, Alvin McEwen writes in LGBTQ Nation that
"Free speech does not mean you get shielded from the consequences of opening your mouth. If you say things about groups of people which are deemed offensive, you should expect some blow back. T.I.'s claim that he believes 'gays should live in peace' is weak in light of the fact that he thinks it's hilarious to make fun of a real problem which in fact does prevent gays from living in peace. Gay children are often threatened with violence in their homes."
Unfortunately, T.I.'s comments will most likely slip by without much ado, because he's not the household name that Morgan is, and, to be blunt, it's just not as surprising coming from a gangsta/thug/hustler. Morgan's insensitive comments were so jarring because they contrasted so violently with his lovable persona. T.I. just doesn't inspire that same kind of affection, especially now.
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Commentarium (31 Comments)
I accidentally saw T.I. perform at a music festival a few years ago. He would rap for about 30 seconds at a time, and then there would be a loud gun cocking noise, and then it would be over and apparently that constituted a "song." Damn, it was awful.
too sensitive at all. They just know that all their bitching puts everyone on the defensive and they get their way. It's pretty gay if you ask me.
He's just trying to prove his manhood after being cornholed in the big house.
He's insensitive and not very articulate, but he makes a point. Everyone that stands for anything gets their shit handed to them and gets made fun of sometimes. It's part of life. That said, they should have rights. I want them to have rights, and not be bullied. But being teased? If it's done in fun, it's the same as if it's done to anyone. Welcome to being mainstream.
A comedian saying "Oh boy I would stab my son to death if he came out gay!"is not teasing... I'm not even gay and that offends me.
I'd like to see how he'd react to someone did a stand up routine about stabbing their son/daughter to death if he/she brought home a boyfriend/girlfriend who happened to be black. "Its just a joke! its hilarious!"
people do do that
yep, just like people still kill people for being gay.
Subjugation based on color and subjugation based on sexual identity while sharing some similarities are NOT the same, and to treat them as equal does a grave disservice to both plights of people and neglects their histories. And let us not forget those people who live at the intersection of race and sexuality and survive as a minority in both realms. A lot of people are "too sensitive" when they counter the opinion of a silent majority. I think the true concern here is not the "sensitivity" expressed by the gay community but rather the truths that T.I. and Tracy Morgan's statement reveal about machismo pride in the black community.
I don't think that @Cool, TI was trying to say that they were the same thing... I think that, simply put, everyone has their own well-founded "sensitivities." For example, I'm Jewish, and you can throw whatever joke at me that stereotypes cheap, greedy Jews, and I'll probably laugh. Even if I don't, I probably won't be deeply offended. That being said, Holocaust jokes make me cringe. Obviously, the history of the subjugation of gays, of blacks, of Jews, and of every other gender/sexual orientation/ethnicity/religious group you can think of are inherently different, but at the end of the day, hate is hate is hate.
Ignoring that he supports gay rights in a larger context; in fact, I notice the element of support has been surgically excised from the excerpts quoted. This is interesting. Does the author feel the torpid zeitgeist of gays needs a constant, but ever-changing, face of villainy to maintain its activism? Wouldn't it be more relevant to maintain the anti-bullying offensive where it counts?
"...and, to be blunt, it's just not as surprising coming from a gangsta/thug/hustler."
I can hear the author's frustration and disgust dripping through this sentence. It is both pointless and offensive in its classism and disingenuity. Why would three words of such similar, borderline objectionable, meaning be obliqued together; unless, the author was mincing the word that he was intending but was too cowardly to say. What was the word between those lines, I wonder? Using a politically correct alternative when the sentiment is steeped in the same dismissive hate is no less hateful.
Or was the author fulfilling the very ideals that limit freedom of expression, that have duly painted him into a corner?
couldn't have said it better
You're reading way too much into it.
"You're reading way too much into it."
Just like every group of people playing identity politics, yes.
Really Nerve? I think T.I. was right in saying that Tracy Morgan was unfairly crucified by the public, which is true considering there was no video from that show, just some duesh bag bloggers complaint about what was said. As for gays being to sensative, well with the exception of John Waters they truely seem to be. I'm all for equality, I believe that gay America should have all the same rights as straight America. That being said, they should be able to take a fucking joke just like anyone and everyone else.
Wow. You're dumb.
Spoken like a person who has privilege.
I personally love the Boondocks on adult swim where they portray almost all gangsta rappers as closet homosexuals....hilarious stuff
Yo, homey! Pull up your freakin' pants and put your stupid hat on straight! When the cops chase you, you're going fall flat on your face! Idiot!
wow, maybe you are the idiot.
Nowhere in this article or in the original article is there any quote from T.I. saying anything more than "gays are too sensitive." That's pretty mild, and honestly seems less offensive than half of the above comments about the article.
amen
So, TI, do you support Michael Richards' use of the N-word? The people who got offended by his language were just too sensitive and should shut up, right?
"If you can take a dick, you can take a joke."
"And he said, 'Gay people are too sensitive!' "
"Yeah, but who wouldn't expect that kind of bigotry from a black guy."
He better put his AIDS ribbon on.
If gays were too sensitive, they would have over-reacted to his comments and implied that TI was one of the reasons that gay children are threatened with violence in their homes.
Oh, wait...
...in news of the obvious...convict rapper is a homophobe.
I'm sure that if I cracked jokes about plantation living, lynching, and Jim Crow, TI would get real sensitive, real quick. Because every group of people gets "too sensitive" about certain things.
This is precisely what I was trying to say, except unlike myself, you said it eloquently and without any accidental grammatical errors. Thanks, @Rob, for saying what I couldn't. :)