Ne-Yo Thinks It’s Time for Hip-Hop Artists to Champion the LGBTQ Community

#20GayTeen has brought us a pop landscape brimming with same-sex pronouns, out queer artists, and mainstream gay hits. And while we’ve seen some marginal improvements in hip-hop over the past couple years, like the emergence of Young M.A. and Tyler the Creator’s bisexual lyrics, the genre is still mired in homophobia. Ne-Yo thinks it’s high time the community embrace LGBTQ people.

Outside LAX Friday, TMZ caught up with the R&B superstar and asked him about a recent controversy surrounding Travis Scott, in which a transgender model was seemingly edited out of Scott’s new album cover.

Ne-Yo told TMZ that, as far as genres go, rap is the furthest behind in championing LGBTQ people — specifically transgender models. “They’re here, they’re not going anywhere, and they’re people just like us,” he said, adding, “I feel like they deserve the same respect. So yeah, I think it’s definitely about time.”

The singer-songwriter quipped, “I say to each his own. Like if you want to be ignorant, stay ignorant. That’s on you. However, over here on this side, we gon’ be enlightened and woke.”

He also had some comments on the “ignorant” Donald Trump. “It’s all about equality at this point, man,” he started. “We all in this shit together. We gotta make sure this thing don’t blow up, or get blown up by our ignorant ass president.”

Woke King Ne-Yo, drop an ally anthem!

Image via Getty

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