Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
REALLY?!?! Azealia Banks: When I say...
During an interview with QutQ's Xorje Olivares on Sirius XM, Azealia Banks discussed her abundant use of the word "f----t" and why she's not going to stop using it. "When I use the word 'f----t,' it comes from a feminist point of view," she told the radio host.
When Olivares asked Banks to define the slur, she replied, "The word 'f----t' came to me from my mother. And it was never a thing about a guy being gay. It was always just a man who hates women. You can be gay or straight. You can be a straight f----t… F----s are men who want to bring women down, fuck with their heads, control them."
She then took issue with the bias she notices in white gay men:
"I definitely think a lot of the time with the 'white gay media' – especially with female artists – in order for you to seem successful or seem feminine you have to desire their approval. I feel like a lot of times gay men can be way more misogynistic than even straight men. Even how they come to you picking at your hair, telling you you're fat, telling you all this other shit. Telling you how to be a woman. What the fuck do you know about being a woman?"
"You called me a b---h, I'll call you a f----t," she later added. "What's the difference?"
Banks, who is bisexual, doesn't think she's being homophobic:
"To be homophobic would imply that I'm, like, 'I can't sit next to a gay man cuz Imma catch the gay, but I already caught the gay. I feel like when I use the word 'f----t,' it comes from, like, a feminist point of view, not a homophobic point of view. It's really just kinda like you feel attacked as a woman."
http://jezebel.com/azealia-banks-when-i-say-faggot-i-mean-it-in-a-femini-1684908272?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
When Olivares asked Banks to define the slur, she replied, "The word 'f----t' came to me from my mother. And it was never a thing about a guy being gay. It was always just a man who hates women. You can be gay or straight. You can be a straight f----t… F----s are men who want to bring women down, fuck with their heads, control them."
She then took issue with the bias she notices in white gay men:
"I definitely think a lot of the time with the 'white gay media' – especially with female artists – in order for you to seem successful or seem feminine you have to desire their approval. I feel like a lot of times gay men can be way more misogynistic than even straight men. Even how they come to you picking at your hair, telling you you're fat, telling you all this other shit. Telling you how to be a woman. What the fuck do you know about being a woman?"
"You called me a b---h, I'll call you a f----t," she later added. "What's the difference?"
Banks, who is bisexual, doesn't think she's being homophobic:
"To be homophobic would imply that I'm, like, 'I can't sit next to a gay man cuz Imma catch the gay, but I already caught the gay. I feel like when I use the word 'f----t,' it comes from, like, a feminist point of view, not a homophobic point of view. It's really just kinda like you feel attacked as a woman."
http://jezebel.com/azealia-banks-when-i-say-faggot-i-mean-it-in-a-femini-1684908272?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
So, a couple things here...just went through my mind.
1. I use the 'b' word and I'm a woman. I catch hell here all the time. One of my favorite tee shirts ends with "and to you it's Ms. 'B'. I don't have a problem with that word. I use for men, women and the toaster. I DON'T EVER use it HERE...let me make that clear. I would never use it around anyone that doesn't like it. I do understand words can hurt--
2. Ms. Banks says she's bisexual. Would using this slur fall into the same category as black people using the 'n' word. I know all black people don't use and many don't like it. My dad hates it and slaps my brothers when he hears them use it. I have one brother who never uses it and hates it as well. My sister uses it a lot. I never use it--but I'm white..lol. I have gay relatives and I've never heard any of them use that word. I have heard an older one use the 'q' word.
I believe Ms. Banks is wrong in what she said...thoughts?
40 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
And I think it's ridiculous of her to claim otherwise. People who hear her use the word are going to hear its actual meaning, not her invented one. It's a slur, and it's homophobic, despite her claim.
I can't just decide that the n-word means "jerk" and start using it that way. 
These days - our mothers would be sent to the big house. In the 1970's/early 1980's - that was called 'parenting'. 
Also, how the fuck does this have anything to do with feminism?! She is a homophobic bigot. I find it beyond bizarre she would claim a slur, which is often used to denigrate men by "making them feminine", is some how a feminist statement. Sounds like she hates gay men, especially white ones.
She's a bigot, plain and simple. Her "feminist point of view" is pretty worthless as far as I am concerned. She's making up stupid excuses to call people names. But don't you dare call her a name! 
She needs to grow up.
Not because it's right in and of itself or enables progress in power relations; mutual slurring or insult doesn't improve much at all. But it does heighten awareness in other outgroups about what they may presume with women, or at least her.
Even so, I don't think it's on her or any other female celebrity to improve power relations between genders as a cause.
...
Even so, I don't think it's on her or any other female celebrity to improve power relations between genders as a cause.
I hope my words are a little clearer.
I admit that I'm condoning it because, most importantly, it's defensive speech; second, I think its practical political effect is more important than is her moral obligation to be the better person and suck up the evil. Every human has his/her limits, and women are not more obligated to strive for sainthood than anyone else.
So yeah, I support her defensive rhetorical strategy, as rhetoricians would call it.
