Culture

KSI issues apology for past use of transphobic slurs

By Sam Damshenas

10th March 2021

KSI has apologised for his past use of transphobic slurs.

The YouTuber and rapper, real name Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji, was called out earlier this week for misgendering a transgender woman in one of his videos with group The Sidemen, as well as for using a transphobic term.

Following backlash, KSI asked his followers: “Hold up, people actually think I’m transphobic?”

After a fan pointed out the aforementioned allegations against him, KSI said he didn’t mean to ‘misgender’ the individual, and just pointed out that “the person had a better beard” than him.

“And I honestly didn’t even know that t****y was a bad word. What’s the correct term to use?” the star added, before social media users told him to never repeat the slur again.

One user pointed out the connotations behind the slur, explaining that many transgender people hear the word “before they were attacked or murdered,” and is commonly used to “humiliate and degrade” those within the community.

KSI owned up to his mistakes and vowed to never use the word again, writing: “My bad for saying transgender slurs. Honestly didn’t even know they were slurs. I know now though.”

Later, he tweeted: “2021, positive vibes only. Need to stop with the hate man. On all sides. Including people who support me. Life’s too short to be angry and hateful towards other people. Only way we advance is with positivity.”

KSI’s apology follows a lengthy statement from Jess Glynne, who also came under fire earlier this week for transphobic language.

The musician appeared as a guest on Mo Gilligan’s podcast, where she reminisced on a time she took “a bad man” friend of hers to a “t****y strip club.”

“As the owner of a ‘t****y strip club’, I’d ask Jess Glynne not to use slurs to describe us or call us ‘men in wigs’,” one person wrote in a viral tweet. “Leave us out of your funny anecdotes, we are not a laughing stock, we are human beings.”

In her statement, Glynne said her language was “unacceptable” and that she’s “ashamed” of her lack of awareness.

The chart-topper said she “should have known better than to tell and casually, thoughtlessly using a word that is a dehumanising, dangerous slur to so many,” and that it will be something that she will “carry” with her for the rest of her life.

 

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