Jay-Z has come out as a person who favors human rights over dogmatic hate! The rap-treneur recently told CNN that, "What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That's their business. [It] is no different than discriminating against blacks. It's discrimination plain and simple." Is reason the new swagger?
This is awesome. No matter how silly it sounds, Jay-Z actually is an important voice in American culture; people listen to him. Jay-Z is a role model, and considering how homophobia in black communities is an oft-discussed topic, his words are important and powerful. Gawker has an interesting write-up on homophobia in rap culture, and past homophobic remarks and rhymes from Jay-Z. They ask the important question: what are the implications of someone who once rapped "faggots wanna talk to po-po's, smoke 'em like cocoa" coming out in support of gay rights?
Jay-Z also considers Obama's remarks on same-sex marriage to be a "political plus," implying Jay supports Obama's statement from not only a moral standpoint, but from a vote-garnering standpoint. When asked about Obama's literally gay-bashing opponent Mitt Romney, Jay-Z showed more political savvy, refusing to comment with a simple statement that he didn't "want to talk about the man." Choosing not to comment? Do we have a future politician on our hands?
