Rapper Young Thug is no stranger to provocative fashion statements and public speculation about his own sexuality. But in a recent podcast appearance, the Atlanta artist stirred controversy for comments many are calling confusing at best, and homophobic at worst.
Appearing on the podcast Perspektives with Bank, Thug discussed loyalty, betrayal, and what he considers violations of “manhood,” while addressing his strained relationship with fellow rapper Gunna. The conversation quickly veered into troubling territory as Thug drew a direct comparison between coming out as gay and “snitching,” equating both to violations of what he referred to as a so-called “man code.”
“I feel like once you break a rule from your manhood — once you rat or once you turn gay…” Thug began, before quickly adding that he has “nothing against gay people.”
According to the 32-year-old rapper, he takes issue not with someone being openly gay, but with what he perceives as “deception” — particularly if a man appears straight or participates in straight-presenting behavior and later reveals he is gay.
“If I meet you and you gay, it’s like, ‘Okay,’” he explained. “But if I meet you and you portraying that you a man and you’re not gay… you’re deceiving.”
Podcast host Big Bank chimed in, interpreting Thug’s sentiment as a critique of “D.L.” (down-low) culture — referring to men who engage in same-sex relationships or behavior while presenting as heterosexual in public.
Thug continued by framing the issue through his personal experience:
“If I look at you like a man and we [have sex with women] together, and we doing certain s*** together, I’m looking at you in a man light. Then I find out you gay — it ain’t really nothing you can say to me. I’mma just look at you like you broke a man code.”
Mixed Messages, Harmful Implications
While Thug repeatedly insisted that he has gay people working for him and supports the LGBTQ+ community, many found his comments to be laced with contradiction and problematic messaging.
For starters, equating homosexuality with betrayal—especially within the context of a conversation about criminal allegations—sends a dangerous and stigmatizing message, regardless of intent. And for a rapper who has long played with gender norms, posed in dresses, and once called himself “the straightest man in the world,” the lack of clarity only complicates his legacy in the eyes of LGBTQ+ fans.
Thug’s statements also suggest that coming out later in life — or not presenting in a way he deems “gay enough” — is a form of dishonesty. This framing erases the reality that coming out is a complex, deeply personal process often shaped by fear, trauma, and cultural pressure.
“What Young Thug is really doing here is reinforcing the toxic idea that masculinity is incompatible with queerness,” says a media expert and cultural critic. “That kind of thinking keeps queer men in the closet, especially in hyper-masculine spaces like hip-hop.”
Bisexual Erasure and the “Man Code”
One glaring issue in Thug’s remarks is bisexual erasure — the assumption that a man must be either straight or gay, with no room in between. By focusing only on men who come out as gay after engaging in “manly” behavior, Thug completely ignores the existence of bisexual men, queer men, or anyone else along the spectrum of fluid sexuality.
His definition of the “man code” also appears to rest entirely on heteronormative ideas: that masculinity equals heterosexuality, and any deviation from that — even retroactively — is a breach of trust.
It’s a viewpoint that reflects wider issues within not just hip-hop, but many male-dominated industries and communities, where queerness is still viewed through a lens of suspicion or betrayal.
The Complicated Legacy of Young Thug
Young Thug, born Jeffery Lamar Williams, has always played with perceptions of masculinity. In 2016, he wore a periwinkle Alessandro Trincone gown on the cover of his mixtape Jeffery, and he’s previously embraced gender-fluid fashion choices that sparked conversation across the music world.
But while his aesthetic may challenge traditional norms, his recent comments reveal how deeply some of those same norms remain internalized.
In a 2019 interview, Thug dismissed speculation about his sexuality, saying, “I’m the straightest man in the world.” And in 2015, he told The Guardian, “I like everything that people say… You gay, you got a nice girlfriend, you can’t rap… I like it all.”
For LGBTQ+ fans who have seen glimpses of allyship or at least boundary-pushing from Thug over the years, this recent rhetoric feels like a step backwards — and a missed opportunity for deeper understanding.
