The 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple musical stirred controversy amongst many, including rapper Boosie BadAzz, due to its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ content.
Boosie expressed dissatisfaction towards the relationship between the characters Celie and Shug Avery. He argued that such a depiction was inappropriate for his young daughters to watch. This objection, however, was not taken lightly by his fans, who pointed out the rapper's history of anti-LGBTQIA+ views.
Boosie's criticisms sparked accusations of hypocrisy. Critics pointed to the sexual content in some of his music, arguing that his standards for what content is appropriate seemed inconsistent. This was not the only aspect of his stance that drew backlash, though.
Despite having an oldest daughter who identifies as a lesbian, Boosie's lack of support for her was also noticed and critiqued. This added another layer of controversy and deepened the divide between the rapper and some of his audience.
In another controversial move in 2023, Boosie declined to perform at an LGBTQIA+ event in spite of a tempting ,000 fee. This decision further fueled debates around his attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ community.
He asserted that he did not harbor hatred for the LGBTQIA+ community – a claim supported by the fact that his assistant identifies as gay. But this did little to quell the controversy.
Boosie's reputation was further tarnished in 2020 when he made transphobic comments about NBA star Dwyane Wade's transgender daughter. Responding to the comments, Wade thanked Boosie for keeping the dialogue about acceptance and support alive, despite the negative context.