On August 25th, DaBaby virtually met with leaders from several H.I.V. organisations to discuss “HIV history and education, as well as the groups’ work in Black, LGBTQ, and faith communities.”
The meeting was the result of an open letter directed at DaBaby after the rapper made a slew of controversial, homophobic remarks during his set at Rolling Loud Miami 2021.
“We must address the miseducation about HIV, expressed in your comments, and the impact it has on various communities,” the letter read. “Together with leaders in the HIV field, we are asking for a meeting with DaBaby to educate and enlighten him.”
In a recent press release issued by GLAAD, the leaders of the virtual meeting acknowledged that DaBaby attended the meeting, and that the Charlotte rapper “was genuinely engaged,” with the meeting and “apologized for the inaccurate and hurtful comments he made about people living with HIV, and received our personal stories and the truth about HIV and its impact on Black and LGBTQ communities with deep respect.”
The meeting with DaBaby was conducted by members of the Black AIDS Institute, Gilead Sciences COMPASS Initiative Coordinating Centers, GLAAD, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Prevention Access Campaign (U=U), the Southern AIDS Coalition, and Transinclusive Group.
Check out ‘Masterpiece’ by DaBaby
“As community leaders who understand the power of conversations as a path to education and evolution, we know that DaBaby received meaningful facts. We were also able to share personal stories about our lives as everyday people who acquired HIV,” the statement continued.
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“During our meeting, DaBaby acknowledged that the HIV facts we presented- many of which he himself was unaware of- are what every American needs to know: HIV is preventable and when treated properly, cannot be passed on.”
The letter went on to detail that HIV disproportionately impact Black communities. Highlighting that celebrities and those in a position of influence “have the power to defeat the stigma that fuels the epidemic.”
You can read the press release in full here. For more on this topic, follow our Hip Hop Observer.
