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Lil Nas X looked back on his decision to come out while being honoured at this year’s Native Son Awards.
The event “celebrates Black gay and queer men who are mavericks in their profession, community, and the world.”
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Revealing how telling the world he’s gay was one of the “scariest moments of his life,” the rapper said, “I was afraid because I knew the world was watching, and all I ever saw for boys like me was judgment and ridicule, but it was because the world was watching, that I knew I had to stand in my truth.”
Presenting Lil Nas X with his award, Lena Waithe said, “He’s helping shift hearts and minds by breaking down decades of stigma between two traditional marginalized groups… he’s now allowing queer Black kids everywhere to feel seen and know that anything is possible. The world needs that, and the world needs him.”
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Lil Nas X came out just as “Old Town Road” topped the charts back in June 2019.
In his acceptance speech, the 22-year-old artist added, “Some people say I am pushing an agenda, and I am. It’s called liberation. There’s no road map when you’re the first to break a barrier, and I hope that one day it’s no longer groundbreaking for queer artists to find mainstream success….
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“Until that day comes, there’s work to do and I will continue to do my part.”