Cardi B Confirms, Once Again, That She’s Been With Women; Tweets About ‘Dykes’

If you’re queer and on The Internet, then you’ve probably heard about the controversy surrounding Rita Ora’s new song “Girls,” which features a Sapphic verse from Cardi B, as well as contributions from Bebe Rexha and Charil XCX. The song about girl-on-girl action has garnered mixed reactions from queer artists and critics alike, many of which found the song to be exploitative of queer women and inauthentic, despite Cardi and Ora’s previous public admissions of being with women. Kehlani called the lyrics “harmful,” while Hayley Kiyoko dubbed the song “tone-deaf,” igniting a social media firestorm that led Ora to make a statement Monday morning, in which she came out as bisexual.

Now, Cardi B is clearing the air on Twitter.

Listen to “GIRLS” by Rita Ora ft me @BebeRexha @charli_xcx .We never try to cause harm or had bad intentions with the song .I personally myself had experiences with other woman ,shiieeett with a lot of woman ! I though the song was a good song and i remember my experience .

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) May 15, 2018

“We never try to cause harm or had bad intentions with the song,” Cardi wrote. “I personally myself had experiences with other woman, shiieeett with a lot of woman ! I though the song was a good song and i remember my experience.”

In 2016, the Bronx native told The Breakfast Club radio show that she dabbled with women, and Ora spoke publicly of a sexually “ambiguous” relationship she had with model Cara Delevingne. Regardless, most of the backlash against “Girls” stemmed from the notion that it wasn’t authenticas in, most of the writers on the song were male, and people weren’t aware of Rita Ora’s or Cardi B’s history with same-sex attraction. Unfortunately, both women were forced to “clarify” their sexual identities on social media.

The 25-year-old rapper, who is currently pregnant and engaged to Offset of Migos, also spoke on harmful LGBTQ slurs. She tweeted, “I know i have use words before that i wasn’t aware that they are offensive to the LGBT community. I apologize for that. Not everybody knows the correct ‘terms’ to use. I learned and i stopped using it.”

I know i have use words before that i wasn’t aware that they are offensive to the LGBT community .I apologize for that .Not everybody knows the correct “terms “to use.I learned and i stopped using it.

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) May 15, 2018

Earlier this year, Cardi’s fiancée was called out for a problematic lyric, in which he quipped, “I cannot vibe with queers.” The rapper claimed ignorance, alleging he wasn’t aware that the word could be used as an anti-LGBTQ slur, but rather was under the impression that it meant “strange” or “odd.” He apologized on social media, insisting he has “mad respect” for gay people.

Cardi came to his defense on a Periscope live stream, explaining, “I’m not going to let somebody call him ‘homophobic’ when I know that he’s not, and I’m saying this because I seen him around these…around gays,” she said. “He treats them with the same respect he treats everybody. He never acts uncomfortable and he just don’t care.”

She also tweeted about the word “dyke,” claiming she wasn’t aware of the word’s negative connotations in her youth. A fan responded to her previous tweet and echoed the rapper’s sentiment. “I went through this myself. I grew up in a small city where people always said ‘dike’ so I thought it was an okay thing to say but when I moved away I quickly learned it was offensive. We all learn and grow boo that’s life,” the fan wrote.

Cardi responded, “Exactly me too .My own friends be like ‘I’m a dyke so i never thought it was a offensive word. I was like wtf.”

Exactly me too .My own friends be like “ I’m a dyke so i never thought it was a offensive word .I was like wtf 🤔 https://t.co/rYaldJnLHN

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) May 15, 2018

We know Cardi to always speak her mind, and that includes questionable yet hilarious social media rants. Luckily, the artist is learning, and making active steps to use inclusive language. Her sister, Hennessy Carolina, is an out lesbian, and with Cardi’s admissions about her own sexual history, I think it’s safe to say she’s a part of this communitydespite a few missteps in the past.