Iggy Azalea was named as the headliner for Pridefest in Pittsburgh (PA), but the news has caused an uproar in the LGBTQ community. The festival is organized by the Delta Foundation, and some people in the LGBTQ community feel Delta doesn’t represent Pridefest properly. When Delta revealed Azalea was headlining the festival, the tension boiled over. The rapper has been accused of being racist and homophobic, even though Azalea vehemently denies those accusations.
The Delta organizers also disagree with those individuals who have accused the rapper of being homophobic or racist, but that hasn’t stopped people from protesting and petitioning Azalea’s heading gig. “If we believed that Iggy Azalea was racist or homophobic, we certainly would not have selected her to headline Pittsburgh Pride. We also don’t believe she would have agreed to come if she was racist or homophobic,” the Delta Foundation wrote in a statement. Despite the backlash from some people, Delta stated that have received a ton of support from people who are excited Azalea will be headlining the event this year. “Iggy is a highly regarded artist and female entertainer and we have received a tremendous amount of positive messages from members of the community and our allies both locally and nationally that are excited that she will be performing at Pittsburgh Pride,” the statement read.
Last month, hip-hop legend MC Lyte came to the defense of Azalea. Lyte believes all of the criticism the Australian rapper is receiving is unfair. “I think she catches a lot of heat because she’s so damn confident. It’s a catch twenty-two. You wanna be humble but if you’re too humble, they’ll tear you up. She’s caught between a rock and a hard place,” Lyte said during a radio interview. Besides being called a racist and homophobic, Azalea has also been accused of being fake. Some people have questioned why the Australian rapper uses a southern accent when she raps. “Iggy’s style is different. You know, people want to get on her because of wherever she’s from. Wherever she’s from really doesn’t matter. She has a love of the craft- of the art. Hip hop is universal, no color lines,” Lyte stated.
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