Rapper Kanye West has no regrets about speaking out against homophobia in hip-hop music, even though some people now assume he's gay. But West, who in 2005 called for an end to homophobia in the rap community, admits he still wouldn't feel comfortable socializing in a gay club, an attitude he attributes to his upbringing in Chicago, Illinois.
The 30-year-old says, "Speaking out against hip-hop homophobia, some people were like 'Oh, Kanye must be gay! Look at the way he's dressing! And why would he speak about it? He's a gay rapper.' And my whole point is, I wouldn't have spoke on that if I was gay or if I was in the closet. I would have stayed so far away from it. And I'm still homophobic myself to a certain extent. You know, I wouldn't go to a gay parade and feel comfortable. I wouldn't ever go to a gay club or something and just be chillin' and grab a drink. It's being in the entertainment world, I meet so many different gay people who are actually nice people. Where I came from, Chicago, being black and being a hip-hop artist, we used to really disrespect gay people. And the thing is, we can't get close to them with a 10-foot pole. And I realized, 'Wow, how ignorant has this been?'"
[Source]
