Lizzo Attended Her 1st Protest in 2012 — a Counter-Protest Against an Anti-Gay Church Group
Lizzo shared her support of the Black Lives Matter movement. She also attended her first counter-protest in 2012 to support the LGBTQ community. Here’s what we know about the “Truth Hurts” artist.
What is Lizzo’s biggest hit?
Lizzo is the artist behind “Truth Hurts,” “About Damn Time,” “Good As Hell,” and “Juice.” She appeared at the Grammy Awards, also earning millions of streams on the 2022 release Special.
Lizzo is also known for her body inclusivity reflected in her shapewear company, Yitty. However, this artist often shared her support for other causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ community.
Lizzo attended her first counter-protest in 2012
Lizzo has been an activist for several years, mentioning her first counter-protest during an interview with David Letterman for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
“There was a church group that was coming in, and they were protesting [against] legalizing gay marriage,” she said. “So, we did an anti-protest. I think that was like 2012 or something. And I’ve been actively going since then.”
Lizzo’s activism extended to her music. One song was influenced by the police killing of Jamar Clark in 2015. The Black Lives Matter movement was reignited on a larger scale following the death of George Floyd.
“I wrote this song called ‘My Skin,’ and I was very, like, ‘We gotta make a change,’” Lizzo said in the same interview. “People were camping out in front of the precinct. We were getting shot at by God knows who.”
“It was scary,” she continued. “It was dark times. And then Tamir Rice, who was 12 years old, who was just playing at a park, got shot within seconds by a police officer. Within seconds.”
In 2020, Lizzo appeared on @blackvisionscollective to discuss current events. She also shared her thoughts on the movement on her Instagram account, encouraging fans to take action.
Lizzo recently received criticism for ‘ableist’ lyrics in ‘Grrrls’
Lizzo became the subject of criticism online with “ableist” lyrics in her original song, “Grrrls.” The original lyrics read, “Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag/Do you see this s***? I’ma sp*z.” As the result, the artist released a statement and a new version of the single.
“It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘GRRRLS.’ Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language,” Lizzo wrote in a statement.
“As a fat Black woman in America,” she continued, “I’ve had many hurtful words used against me, so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or, in my case, unintentionally).”
Lizzo has since released a new version of this song with changed lyrics. However, she wouldn’t be the only artist updating their music and lyrics, as Beyoncé became the subject of similar criticism for “Heated.”
