Cardi B caused a bit of a social media uproar recently when she used an anti-LGBTQ+ slur to describe herself in an X post.
On December 12, the bisexual rapper posted a pair of photos of herself in Timberland boots, baggy jeans, and a fur coat.
Related
Cardi B says that homophobes are “just ugly”
Cardi B specifically admonished every “bad bitch” to get “a gay best friend or gay best friend cousin.”
The post was captioned simply “D*key B.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Response to the post was decidedly mixed, with some fans thirsting after Cardi’s soft butch vibes while others called her out for using the term.
“Isn’t that a slur,” one X user commented.
Another suggested that she edit the post to say “Stud-y B before Twitter goes crazy.”
“cardi I love you but you can’t openly use slurs like this and think it’s ok,” another fan commented.
Others seemed to take issue simply with the “Bodak Yellow” rapper’s insufficiently butch look.
“Girly girls call themselves d*kes whenever they wear pants and timbs,” one X user commented.
On December 15, Cardi clapped back at one commenter who wrote that “b***hes put on pants and think they genderbending.”
“Baby I BEND b***hes in REAL LIFE!” the rapper responded.
Another fan expressed confusion over the outrage directed at Cardi. “i am part of the community and NEVER have i ever heard anyone say d*ke is a slur. since when is it a slur?? these replies have me VERY confused. i was just looking for someone saying she doesn’t look like one lol”
As Them notes, the term has a long and complicated history as both a slur used to denigrate lesbians and as word that the community has reclaimed as its own. The famous Dykes on Bikes motorcycle club has been a fixture at Pride events for decades, and the NYC Dyke March has taken place during the city’s June Pride celebrations since 1993.
But as the LGBTQ+ outlet also noted, Cardi identifies as bisexual, not a lesbian. While none of her online critics directly called her out on those grounds, that may be the source of at least some people’s discomfort with her use of the word. As one commenter wrote, “Girl u can’t say that,” though it appears Cardi herself would beg to differ.