To be a Black queer man is to be sandwiched between toxic masculinity, homophobia, and racism. Being stuck at the intersection of all of these prevents many Black queer men from ever becoming comfortable in their own skin.
But when Lil Nas X uses his music and platform to show how he is blossoming into the Black queer man that he is, it reminds me and other Black queer men that, despite societal structures and norms, we can blossom into our true selves as well.
Say what you will, but you can’t deny the impact and importance Lil Nas X’s debut album Montero (Lil Nas X’s birth name) has had on Black queer people and, honestly, the world.