Making Room:
How one gay man is navigating a genre notorious for its homophobia and hypermasculinity
How true does the sentiment of rap being homophobic hold today?
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Calgary born rapper William Kowall—F.Virtue—raps, “This isn’t gay rap. Do gay chefs make gay food?" in his 2013 track “Anita Bryant.”
Kowall used this track so publically come out. He says it’s the kind of song he “needed to hear as a closeted kid.”
“I rapped and studied the culture religiously, and the outright homophobia made me feel like I wasn’t wanted in the very thing I loved most. I needed to see someone rapping who was out and proud, and I didn’t,” so releasing “Anita Bryant” was for him and also anyone out there who needs to hear an accepting sound in the genre he says.
“Music is how I cope with things and understand myself, so “Anita Bryant” was really the only way I knew how to break down the door for myself. And in doing so for others, everywhere - it’s a song telling everyone to be themselves and that’s cool and we can do it together.
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“I was born with a sexuality backwards. And the homo strives to be a rapper. But raps homophobic, so why should he listen? It’s not made for him. It’s for straight men
and butchy women,”
Anita Bryant, by F. Virtue
William Kowall, aka F. Virtue.
Photo by Sadiah Rahman
During the late 1970s and early 80s, hip hop and rap originated from the poorest districts of New York City by Black and Latino youth as a way of expression, unity and identity. Over time it has evolved, gaining a notorious reputation for being misogynistic and homophobic.
When you kick back to listen to some legendary hip hop artists, and take in the lyrics, there’s no denying their lyrics can be quite harsh. With artists like Eminem to DMX, Kool Keith and Public Enemy, it’s hard to ignore the reality: they all have used homophobic slurs.
Dijah Payne—DijahSB—is a 22 year old Toronto rapper who’s been in the game since she was 16-years-old. As a lesbian rapper, she has a unique look into the industry when it comes to the true nature of hip-hop culture.
“You have a lot of rappers who will say anything just to make it sound good on a beat, so they’ll throw out their integrity as long as it sounds good,” Payne says. “I don’t like to think rap and hip-hop is always misogynistic but it is and I find myself creeping in lyrics that are borderline misogynistic, too. It’s just a common theme within the community and if a rapper believes it’s what the people will like, they’ll conform to that sound and deliver.”
Kowell says this is rooted in the origins of the genre and “from oppressed black communities in New York with no visible voice. So asserting ones masculinity in rap actually stems from having to prove ones place as a resulted of being constantly overlooked and ignored.”
“Men feel inclined to flex their masculinity in rap music. It can be obnoxious, it can be corny, it can be unwarranted and immature or it can actually be dope. It depends how it’s done. But there’s no way around it, braggadocio has always been part of the culture,” Kowell says. “In reality, the most masculine rapper right now is Young Thug, because being a man is really to be self-empowered enough to express themselves without fear of haters.”
Young Thug is a 25-year-old American rapper from Atlanta notorious for his gender-bending style and unique style.
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Watch the music video for Anita Bryant below:
It’s hard not to fit the sound of the times. Pressure to conform exists within all realms and it isn’t any less in hip-hop music.
It’s a “sad state of affairs” says Kenneth McLeod, a music history professor at the University of Toronto. “Its not about the politics per say. Those (alternative) voices are already out there but those voices aren't selling. Right? It's going to be what sells. I think the way the music industry and everything else is structured, this is just the way it works.”
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In Macklemore’s song “Same Love,” Maclemore, a 33 year old rapper from Washington, United States says, “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me,” and he isn’t wrong to assume that, nor is he entirely right.
Del Cowie, a Toronto music journalist and associate producer at CBC music, has been writing on all things music for more than a decade. Cowie makes the argument that hip-hop is just shadowing the attitudes of our sociopolitical state.
“Hip hop exists in the world, a (world) that has been largely homophobic. It’s not like hip-hop is this separate entity. It always, in a way, reflected what's going on in society.
Hip-hop helped to contextualize the life people who used it first lived in, Cowie says. “It doesn't excuse hip-hop from being homophobic, what I’m saying is people tend to parcel it out as if it doesn't exist within the larger popular culture, which is also homophobic and has traditions being so. With that being said, attitudes have been changing in the larger popular culture and it has been reflected to some extent in hip-hop as well. I think two things go hand in hand.”
“To generalize and say that hip hop itself is this or that tends to perpetuate that it’s the artists themselves,” McLeod says. “It’s people who are homophobic, it’s people who are misogynist, and it’s not the music. It’s not the music; it’s the sentiment of the community who make the music. Nothing about hip-hop is particularly one way or the other homophobic. It can be all these things. Until you attach someone’s ideology behind it, it’s some individual’s ideology.”
In this argument, accountability becomes fluid, with no clear policing.
DijahSB believes hip-hop is moving forward even if it’s a slow movement.
“It’s hard to predict what may happen with such an unpredictable genre. Hopefully people open their eyes and understand sexuality is nothing to hate somebody for, and if somebody sounds nice, they sound nice regardless of their sexuality. If somebody is trash, they’re trash regardless of their sexuality. That’s all it is. Acceptance.”
Web Exclusive: Q & A with F. Virtue
Why is activism important in hip-hop?
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Hip-hop is global. It’s a platform that allows people to be heard. So if there’s something to be said, that message can be spread through hip-hop to a massive audience. This makes activism important in hip-hop because it can be used to make real change, spread thought, and cause people to think and look at things differently. Not every hip-hop artist has an obligation to be an activist, but the genre will forever be a leading platform for those who chose to use it as such.
What do you hope to achieve with your song “Anita Bryant”?
A lot. But also a little. Really, I just wanted “Anita Bryant” to reach even just one person, and to let them know they aren’t alone, and it’s cool and okay to be themselves and that I’m here for them. But I also wrote it for me, because I used it to publicly come out in my own life, which is something I was terrified of. Music is how I cope with things and understand myself, so “Anita Bryant” was really the only way I knew how to break down the door for myself. And in doing so for others, everywhere - it’s a song telling everyone to be themselves and that’s cool and we can do it together.
What inspired you to write that song?
It’s the song I needed to hear as a closeted kid. I rapped and studied the culture religiously, and the outright homophobia made me feel like I wasn’t wanted in the very thing I loved most. I needed to see someone rapping who was out and proud, and I didn’t. It was hard, and I don’t think any kid deserves to grow up feeling that way. Or bad about themselves in any aspect - we are born with the equal and inherent right to freedom, life, love, and liberty. And it’s heartbreaking that that’s just not the case yet.
What kind of reaction did that song attract?
The reaction was mostly positive! In my personal life, it changed everything for the better. It lifted a huge weight. The people around me finally knew all of me, and I could pursue my future openly. In the rap world it was also great. I was able to reach a new level of honesty with my listeners and my peers, one I am still exploring, and will always be exploring, and it did what I set out to do, it helped people feel more comfortable in their skin, and even come out. The online response was as you’d expect - of course there’s always hate that’s hard to read. Comments that you can’t believe people could say. But that’s the world - especially the online world - and it doesn’t get to me. We just gotta keep fighting for what we believe in, and I believe in my music and my message, so I stick to the positive and keep it moving.
How have you seen the hip-hop genre change attitudes on sexuality from its origins to now?
This question is a biggie - hip-hop has confronted and evolved attitudes on sexuality throughout its entire existence. Not just LGBT sexuality, but also male and female sexuality in general. Cue Lil’ Kim. But in terms of LGBT sexuality, hip-hop is more cautious of using the word “faggot,” which is seriously one of the most prevalent disses in rap’s early years. A grip of gay and lesbian rappers are killing the game right now, and reach mainstream audiences—especially in Cakes Tha Killa and Mykki Blanco’s latest records and Young M.A’s unmissable “Say OOOUUU.” Artists couldn’t wait around for the genre to accept us, so we’ve been paving our own way regardless. And people are starting to notice. We can’t be held back or kept quiet any longer.
How are men conforming to fit the sound of hip-hop/rap?
Men feel inclined to flex their masculinity in rap music. It can be obnoxious, it can be corny, it can be unwarranted and immature, or it can actually be dope. It depends how it’s done. But there’s no way around it, braggadocio has always been part of the culture. And not just in battles and cyphers, in the written side of it as well. Look at hip-hop’s roots; it came from oppressed black communities in New York with no visible voice. So asserting ones masculinity in rap actually stems from having to prove ones place as a resulted of being constantly overlooked and ignored. It’s like, “No, look at me! I’m here too. I exist and have my place in the world. And I’m also special. And incredible. And no one can mess with me!”
Is there sexual repression in the genre?
In the past there was very clear sexual repression forcing gay, bisexual, and lesbian rappers to stay in the closet – but like all revolutions in the past, the people keep speaking and every angle of sexuality is now outwardly represented in hip-hop.
Why is it important to understand the language of the hip-hop community?
To comment or participate in something, one must first understand what they are commenting on or participating in - so to properly digest hip-hop, its impact, history, and trajectory, they must comprehend the language. Not just the history, but every dimension.
What is the greatest misconception in terms of hyper-masculinity in hip-hop/ rap today?
The biggest misconception is that hyper-masculinity means to be a bro-y douche. In reality, the most masculine rapper right now is Young Thug, because being a man is really to be self-empowered enough to express themselves without fear of haters.
Is there adequate room for alternative male rappers? I.e. people like Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, Kaytranada...
There is extra room! So much room! Hey queer, fluid, unique, strange, weird, special, straight, bi, pan, trans, up, down, left, right artists! Come make your music! Be heard! Upload it to YouTube! Get out there! Do you! The world is waiting more than it even knows. F’real. There is so much space. Frank Ocean is a national treasure.
What is the greatest misconception in terms of homophobia in hip-hop/rap culture/genre today?
The same misconceptions that plague LGBTQ peoples everywhere are just as prevalent in the hip-hop culture. The stereotypes go on...
