Outspoken rapper Lizzo has brought down the house with several riveting conversations.
Lizzo discussed empowerment, self-definition, people’s right to govern their bodies, and challenging politicians like Gov. Greg Abbott and his outlandish position on CPS and transgender children as a speaker at this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin, TX.
According to Rolling Stone, during her keynote speech, the “Truth Hurts” artist insisted on the conference attendees affirming themselves, having them all chant, “I love you. You are beautiful. You can do anything.”
But during her conversation with Angela Yee, she got serious and addressed lawmakers like Abbott, who have submitted a policy that would mandate that CPS consider parents who help trans kids obtain access to gender-affirming care as abusive and operating from a cruel space.
“I’m proud to rep Houston but I’m not proud to rep Texan politics right now. There are very regressive laws being passed. They’re taking away the right for young children to have a chance to live authentically as themselves.”
“It’s a violation of human rights. Trans rights are human rights,” she declared.
The Human Rights Campaign responded with a “Thank you.”
They tweeted, “Thank you, @Lizzo, for speaking out against the attacks on trans kids in Texas. Elected officials need to stay out of private medical decisions. #TransRightsAreHumanRights”
Elected officials need to stay out of private medical decisions. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
https://t.co/SsjcQ4MHpC
Awareness about the politics around this policy is important. Should legislation like this be passed, the government could use the law as grounds to remove trans children from the supportive family’s home.
There are others fighting against the bill passing. A Texas judge has temporarily blocked it from going into effect, calling it “unconstitutional.”
Lizzo also spoke about abortion, a hot-button issue in Texas. The latest abortion law makes it illegal to release a pregnancy after six weeks or after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
“We got a lotta ugly babies y’all need to be handling instead of y’all being in people’s homes and telling them what to do with their bodies and being all up in their uteruses,” she said. “The abortion ban is atrocious as well. Mind your business. Stay out of my body.”
Lizzo is never afraid to let anyone have it.