Lil Nas X recently released his new song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and the music video sparked controversy. The video opens with Lil Nas X playing a pink guitar under a funky tree in a fantasy world as a giant snake slithers around. He is then seen wearing a pink wig being chained up surrounded by blue wigged versions of himself. It appears people started to get pretty upset when Lil Nas X, wearing a pair of briefs and thigh-high boots, gracefully pole danced his way down to Hell and proceeded to give a CGI Satan a lap dance. 

Personally, I love the imagery and the fantasy world Lil Nas X created. The song and video show just how versatile he is, especially when you compare it to “Old Town Road.” It is also a statement that he is not afraid to be himself and do what makes him happy. On March 26, Lil Nas X tweeted a letter to a younger version of himself about coming out as gay. He addressed the message to “14-year-old Montero,” using his given name, Montero Lamar Hill.

“I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist,” Lil Nas X wrote.

I know Lil Nas X is not alone and I love that he is using his platform to share his own experiences as a gay man, as he becomes comfortable being gay and a celebrity. 

I love this song and I have been listening to it on repeat for hours. I have also watched the music video an embarrassing amount of times, but it is just so good. The biblical symbolism is abundant and although I see no problem with it, a lot of people do. The number of tweets I have seen where people say the video is disgusting or Lil Nas X should be canceled is too high. Many religious people are upset at the “Satan worshipping” that is happening or the sensual nature of the video.

Then there are the parents who are upset that the video is not suitable for children. Are you kidding me? Not every piece of media has to be okay for children. Parents think that since they let their children listen to “Old Town Road” (which can also be argued is not okay for children), Lil Nas X should only create child-friendly content. Lil Nas X, a 21-year-old, is not responsible for raising children and it is up to parents to tell their children what is right and wrong.

He has made it clear that these people will not change him as he has responded to a lot of the tweets, including those of Kaitlin Bennett, a literal party-pooper and right-wing “activist.” Bennett was outraged by the song and video and tweeted she was grateful to be blocked by Lil Nas X. He responded by saying he still sees her tweets and she responded by asking if he still sees his dad (a man that is quite proud of his son, might I add). He responded saying yes, followed by an off-color joke about her father that was wildly misinterpreted.

Needless to say this did not go over well with Bennett, whom I already do not like. She denied pooping her pants at a party even with photo evidence and this has just added to my dislike of her.

I found the exchange and all of Lil Nas X’s replies to haters funny, but there is a bigger picture we should be looking at. People should be praising Lil Nas X for being comfortable with himself and his sexuality. Artists have created music videos with even more sexual undertones and they have not received half the backlash Lil Nas X has. 

Is it because this video was made by a gay man and the song is about being gay? For some, I know it is because they have explicitly said his openness about his sexuality is worse than the Satan content. 

It is 2021. Are we really not accepting people because they are gay? It is okay to be gay and proud of it. We need to get rid of this idea that being gay is bad. It is not and if you think it is, you are ignorant and you need to grow up.