American Rapper Nicki Minaj has expressed her support for the LGBTQ+ community by cancelling her appearance at a Saudi Arabian festival after massive public backlash.
After announcing the appearance fans were quick to question how Minaj, an outlandish and overtly sexualised individual would be able to perform properly in a country that is so harshly conservative.
Minaj was criticised by The Human Rights Foundation for the performance, and they urged her to cancel her appearance, stating the primary factor of this is the country’s treatment of minorities such as the LGTBQ+ community, and the harsh treatment of women within the country. Examples of this include gender segregation, and female drivers being given driving licenses for the first time in decades, which was short lived in itself.
In a statement released to the Associated Press, Minaj said ‘after careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest. While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression’.
The festival itself, Jeddah World Fest, is a single day festival happening on July 18th, and sticks to very strict rules, such as no alcohol being allowed in the venue, and is open to audiences older than 16, complying with the laws and legislations of the country.
The response to Nicki’s statement has been overwhelmingly positive, and the Rapper even took time on Instagram and Twitter yesterday to respond to disappointed fans in Saudi Arabia, defending herself and trying to educate the masses in the meantime.
