"Such a weird joke": Lil Nas X's transitioning joke controversy explained as singer leaves netizens divided

On Wednesday, March 14, rapper and singer Montero Lamar Hill, who goes by the moniker Lil Nas X, shared an apology to the trans community on Twitter following a joke about transitioning.

In a now-deleted tweet, the 23-year-old singer shared a photo of a woman with a striking resemblance to him and jested that he had transitioned, stating:

The post did not go down well with netizens, who were quick to call him out on the insensitive joke. Following online criticism, the rapper took to Twitter to apologize for the controversial post. He remarked:

Lil Nas X's apology amassed a slew of responses and not everyone was persuaded. User @duhlings, commented:

Netizens have mixed reactions to Lil Nas X's apology

After Lil Nas X's apology went viral, internet users promptly took to Twitter to either express their support or criticize the Old Town Road singer. Twitterati stood divided over the controversy.

Many commented in his favor, praising him for being reasonable and apologizing. They stated that people can no longer "take jokes" and get "triggered" by the smallest of things.

Others remarked that in today's world, it is easy to say or act in a way that is deemed inappropriate, but added that what matters more is how one takes accountability.

Despite the support, the other half of Twitter were left fuming and called the joke "tone-deaf," questioning the need to make such an inappropriate post in the first place.

User @ExhaustedIssac brought attention to the current state of affairs for trans people in the country, stating that no one was in the "mood for jokes":

Lil Nas X responds to backlash

While fans were still debating over the rapper's Tweets and his apology, a fan wrote that the apology was not enough and said that he should do more for the sake of awareness, including monetary compensation.

Representatives for the rapper are yet to make any further comments over the controversy.

About the author

Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.

Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.

The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.

Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.

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