Beyoncé Accused Of Abandoning Gays In Their Time Of Need
At least one Houston man is not happy with Beyoncé right now.
HuffPo blogger Carlos Maza claims it “kills him” to write it (a huffingtonpost article titled Beyoncé Ignored the LGBT Community in Houston), especially since he’s “spent more time worshiping Beyoncé than just about any other pop star,” but he is incredibly disappointed in the singer, and he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to forgive her.
“Over the past few months,” Maza writes, “Beyoncé has repeatedly refused the opportunity to speak out against the legalization of discrimination against LGBT people in her hometown.”
He’s talking about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which prohibited discrimination in matters of housing and employment on the basis of more than a dozen different characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity. On Tuesday, Houston voters choose to repeal that law, effectively legalizing discrimination.
In his nearly 1,500-word rant, Maza calls into question Beyoncé’s alleged support of her LGBTQ fans. He begins by writing about the time he called upon her to “make a single Instagram post in support of HERO” in a blog post he published back in August.
“With fifty million followers, she has one of the most influential social media presences in the world,” Maza writes. “A single post from her would have motivated young voters to the polls, focused national attention on the fight over HERO, and dramatically reframed the narrative.”
The hashtag #BeyBeAHERO was established to encourage the singer to get involved. It received more than 10 million impressions.
“But despite repeated requests for help from HERO supporters in Houston,” Maza says. “Beyoncé declined to comment.” Instead, he continues, “I watched her post images from her Vogue cover shoot.”
Over the next several weeks, Maza waited with bated breath for Beyoncé to post her support of HERO to Instagram. But the post never came.
“One night, I found myself lying on the grass in a park by my apartment, distraught,” he recalls. “I had done everything I knew how to do to get Beyoncé’s team to react. I had bugged every reporter friend, forwarded every press hit, tweeted incessantly. I had given it my best shot. And I was starting to feel like a failure.”
“On Instagram,” he writes, “I watched Beyoncé post a photo of a pizza.”
When HERO was voted down on Tuesday, Maza says it was “probably one of hardest things I’ve had to experience.” He was left “devastated,” and that devastation was only made worse by what Beyoncé did next.
“On Instagram, I watched a video of Beyoncé posing silently in front of an American flag,” he writes. “I can’t believe she didn’t say something.”
“Beyoncé had a golden opportunity to oppose an active effort to legalize discrimination against LGBT Houstonians,” he continues. “It wouldn’t have taken more than a single Instagram post.”
“She didn’t.”
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62 Comments
Francis
November 06, 05:42Beyonce ain’t no Gaga. She’s not into activism. I wonder why this one is just noticing that
Mandy
November 06, 06:00What are you talking about? She’s a feminist. That’s activism.
Francis
November 06, 06:03Story! That Beyonce can be all forms of shady.
P.S: I’m a huge fan but not a deluded one.
Pink Panther
November 06, 06:08Seriously? Now you’re going to say she’s not an actual feminist?
Francis
November 06, 06:24Someone has to justify their wearing crazy sexy outfits on stages across the globe.
Let the gays announce an authentic boycott of all things Beyonce and watch if she won’t do a serious reboot.
My point, over the years I have noticed she doesn’t like putting a strong face to ogbonge issues. She just maintains one corner until peeps drag her out of it. Maybe na her thought passive aggressive persona sha. #JustMyKoboKoboOpinion.
She can be over subtle like that. She’s one of those celebs I feel hustle hard for gay dollars.
Pink Panther
November 06, 06:28I’m not talking about whether she’s a gay rights icon or not. Truth be told, I’ve never really known her to be a forerunner for the LGBT. i just know gays love her. What I’m referring to is your barb about her feminism. In that regard, she is quite vocal. I don’t know her to be a ‘maintaining one corner until peeps drag her out of it’ feminist.
Dennis Macaulay
November 06, 07:03Yea she is a feminist alright….**rolls eyes**
On one hand she tells women to band together to do good and help each other, on the other hand she tells women to “Bow down bitches”.
Beyonce’s feminism is just a marketing tool which helps her sell records, girl is just about making money. And like Francis said let gays begin to boycott her music and merch, she will March to supreme court……mstchew
Francis
November 06, 07:17??? @ marching to supreme court. Na that time awon vexed gays go tear am to shreds
Mandy
November 06, 09:29Dennis, you’ve proven yourself a Bey naysayer right from time. So all this vomit is hardly surprising coming from you. Human beings, be forming lords and masters of other people’s lives since 01AD
Dennis Macaulay
November 06, 09:39Vomit? Comeon mandy! You don’t have to be rude to me because we disagree!
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 06, 11:55Actually in Bow Down she wasn’t telling “women” to bow down, but telling women who don’t respect her accomplishments to recognise and bow down, which I think is perfectly fine. There isn’t one kind of feminism as it is a very broad spectrum. Wearing pant suits or a hijab to perform doesn’t make anyone a feminist. Singing kumbaya womanhood every second doesn’t necessarily make you the only kind of feminist. Not all feminists believe in the sexual repression of women in order to get men to take them more serious. As Chimamanda said, feminism is the belief in the equality of the sexes. Women shouldn’t have to shrink themselves for you to accept them as feminists.
That said, Beyoncé doesn’t take strong stances on controversial topics so as not to piss of either side and remain neutral. The most political she’s been is in her support for Barack Obama. She isn’t the governess of the gay community though so it is her personal choice to support or not. She’s not obligated to because we enjoy her music.
Peak
November 06, 08:50@Francis and Dennis
You guy pretty much have this issue covered, so I will just sit back and observe.
drizzle
November 06, 06:10There’s different shades of Beyonce and I get mad at times but as a fan, what I do?
No one compels Bey to do stuff, she just wants to do stuffs on her own.
Dennis Macaulay
November 06, 07:07That Hero issue vexed me that year because she is from Houston!
Yet she will still go on tour and put houston on the schedule and sell out tickets in 5 seconds.
Just that Americans can mumu, they don’t know how to punish these celebs. When it is only Bey, Kanye (because Kim no go buy), solange and Tina that are buying her music, she go do well!
**sprays insecticide **
KingBey
November 08, 23:16Bia Dennis, take your time there o. Mind how you talk to my Queen. O gini di sef?
olima
November 06, 07:11Abeg, d dude shld shut up! Who need a Bey to validate ur fight for equality. Just cos some celebrity support us doesn’t mean ppl will stop hating or bashing us.
He needs a slap.
Dennis Macaulay
November 06, 07:17Read and understand his point of view sweetheart before slapping him.
Celebrities are powerful people and we often want them to use their power to push social causes and do good.
We are the world? Hope for Haiti? Fashion for food? These are a few very powerful causes pushed by celebrities and honestly what is the point of all that money and all that power if you don’t do good? To your number one demographic?
Francis
November 06, 07:20#EnoughSaid ?
Henrie
November 06, 08:14Thank you, Dennis. The guy is simply saying he expected better from Beyonce. I don’t know why one photo on IG is too much of expectation from anyone.
Masked Man
November 06, 07:16**headphones on**
7/11
Teflondon
November 06, 07:59Lost course really..
What I don’t get however is Gay people’s obsession (key word here, obsession) with celebs to support or validate our existence. I just don’t get. If you had tried and she didn’t budge, Mr Hero you Move on. If she doesn’t beleive in your course then she won’t do it. I don’t get why we like to push things through people’s throat. It’s neuseating. We need to calm our titties. Yes Gay people constitute majority of her fans but if she doesn’t beleive in supporting the course as much as she supports feminism; it’s her choice, it’s her business, it’s her life.. She worked her socks off to get to were she is today. She decides what she wants. If she doesn’t believe in the gay rights course so be it. MOVE the fuck on or get some other celeb to support the course. I’m just angry that gay people are always quick to put down, run down and Chastise anyone that isn’t going in our line. If they don’t beleive (enough to support) in course that doesn’t automatically make them a bad person. we are always fast to paint that picture. We need to stop it.
P.s
Not a Bey fan (Riri fan actually) but my stance on objectivity would have me saying things as it should be.
Henrie
November 06, 08:12How comes i didn’t see the part where the article said Beyonce is a bad person for not posting a mere photo on Instagram to show solidarity?
Tiercel de Claron.
November 06, 13:42Show solidarity how?.Is she obligated to so do?.
For the life of me,I don’t get what the kvetch is all about. She mustn’t support whatever cause you guys believe just ’cause you are her fans.
Heck,HERO was not just about gays sef. Why limit it to a just gay stuff?.Gays can be something else,aswear
Peak
November 06, 08:42LMAO at all these comments.
Beyoncé’s stans are the most delusional fan base ever. How are you going 2 stan for someone and not know how she rolls?
Home girl is all about the dolla, extension of her fame and star power.
If it ain’t or related about those factors she remains on #Unbothered.
And Death at that feminism line. I guess its safe to say every song I have ever heard with the artist saying “this is for my girls” or ” for all my ladies” means they are feminist too abi?
**sigh**
Mandy
November 06, 09:27Beyoncé is all about the dollar, extension of her fame and star power, yea?
PP mentioned one time that you stan for Rihanna, Peak. Tell me, is she not also about those things too?
Peak
November 06, 10:03Mandy, every body in the showbiz is all about that, but ur Bey takes it to a whole new level.
When was the last time ur bey showed up for a meet and greet? Interacted with her stans on social media since she is 2 busy for a meet and greet? Called them 2 order when they bully or go after other ppl (on social media and physically) ? When was the last time she embacked or initiated a give back project that isn’t a collaborative effort that she was signed on to do? When was the last time she took the initiative to do something for the public that had no major media coverage that would make her look good?
Bey doesn’t move a muscle if its not going 2 add one more brick to her growing empire. She is a cold calculative business woman to the core ( its annoying, but at some point u cant help but admire that about her). That cant be said about Rih, she is a hustler 2, but compare to Bey, she is still a learner. (Notice how i dont stan blindly and give credit where it is due?)
The major genuinely philanthropic effort she made that was not geared towards earning media attention was back in her DC days along with kelly in Houston. Rihanna on the other hand, is a different story all together. You can start by reading about her Diamond ball and her bone marrow transplant seach thing (can’t remember)
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 06, 15:56When a woman is successful without apologising for it, she becomes a “cold, calculating business woman.” Almost like you can just see her petting her furry white cat and planning how to destroy her business opponents. Beyoncé is a wonderful business woman. She doesn’t need to publicly announce that she is supporting a cause before she is known as philanthropic. Our people have a term for that and it is called eye service. Do you know how much she and her husband donated for bail money to have black rights protesters released from jail? Do you know how much she donates to Oxfam every year? To the Sean Carter Foundation (which funds college education for black kids)? She’s one of AIDS research’s biggest donors. Beyoncé doesn’t need to set up meet & greet sessions because Taylor Swift and Rihanna need that to sell albums. She has always been a private person and it wasn’t until maybe three years ago that we started getting glimpses into her private life.
Peak
November 06, 16:58@Chelsea, trust me, I really don’t care if Bey wants to support any cause or not.
My Point which you urself and a couple of other commenters have echoed is “it’s very “unbeyonce” to wade into issues like the one under discuss.
About meet and greet and social media presence = private. At the end of the day you are just repeating and buttressing what I said earlier. If its not about the money, she doesn’t care.
Lol at you using Taylor and Rih to drive home ur point about shifting products when…abeg let me just stop cos this is beginning to sound childish.
posh6666
November 06, 08:58For some reasons not just about this article i really do feel Beyonce isnt as perfect,nice or even bothered about any other person in the world except for her daughter,mum and solange…She is a really narcisistic person all about the image and she does it in a really subtle way most people especially her beehives dont even know it.Nobody is that perfect her level of perfection is too much she comes off as really slicky and will stay married to Jay Z even if she is fed up with the marriage i mean the rumours has been there for years!
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 06, 16:00Lol how ridiculous. You are angry that she seems perfect. Who told you she is perfect? Because she hasn’t gone on camera to smoke weed or flash her snatch you cannot relate to her? Why are you angry she is still married to her husband of 9 years? You think she’s a narcissistic bitch because she is beautiful, successful, cares for her family and is not whoring about town? Says more about you than her tbh.
Teflondon
November 06, 16:26**Stifles laugh**
i think we have new bad ass bitch in town people.. there’s a new sheriff in town!!
Eros
November 06, 09:20: (•_•)
all the single ladies
/ \
(•_•)
<) )╯oh oh oh
/ \
Dennis Macaulay
November 06, 09:23Lol ode!
You are so silly
Sinnex
November 06, 09:58Oh…another Beyonce’s post.
Next!
Chizzie
November 06, 10:10Is it me or is Huffington post slowly becoming like MediaTakeout? Are they running out of stories? Anyone that sits down and pens a 1500 word rant abt how Beyonce is abandoning gays or whatever, needs to go out more often and then be psych evaluated. Same applies to anyone who actually takes the time to debate over this post
Keredim
November 06, 10:33People sabi drink anoda person Panadol sha…..?
Meanwhile, “where are those girls?”
And why can’t I walk down the street in Iyana Ipaja, holding hands with my same sex partner, without fear of landing in jail??
Khaleesi
November 06, 10:35I love Beyonce to pieces,but this …. ***rolls and eyes and yawns deeply***
Delle
November 06, 10:58Seems its Beyonce’s week this week, right? Oh well
What you guys don’t get is this…not everyone is passionate about a lot of things. In as much as she is a celebrity with a huge fan base doesn’t mean she should be an activist of ALL things! I like Beygurl but I’m nt all ‘hipp-hunty’ about her. She seems to be the most IDC celebrity of all times and it’s all good…who cares?
She isn’t shady, she’s just not someone you’d call nice.
Remember her smash hit with Shakira, the Beautiful Liar Vevo Certified Single? Yes, she and Shakira have never spoken since then, who does that? She’s lackadaisical…let’s deal with it!
P.S: I’m tired of all these Beyonce nonsense o…gimme some Shakira or Katy Perry…until then…
*twerking to Janelle Monae’s ‘Yoga’*
Keredim
November 06, 11:07You know!!!!!
? Baby bend over, baby bend over, baby bend over, let your booty do the yoga?
?Flex. Flex?
????????
Delle
November 06, 15:16Haha you are so on sweetheart cos I was bending over my booty the whole time y’all were debating on Queen Bee’s ish!
Pink Panther
November 06, 11:11Lol. She and Shakira have never spoken since then…
Dear God, where do I even start?
Uh Delle, do u happen to be either Bey’s or Shakira’s personal assistant? Oh wait, perhaps you schedule their luncheons? Shoot, no, you’ve gotta be the chauffeur that whisks them about here and there. Wait, I got it, you’re the paparazzo who’s on their tail 24/7, documenting the fact that they don’t speak, right? Right?
And since when do artists who collaborate turn into besties? Heck, co-stars who film months and months of movies together have been known to go years without seeing or speaking to each other.
So i guess I’m trying to understand how that little information you snuck in there serves as a minus for Beyoncé. Do enlighten me please.
Mandy
November 06, 11:40LMAO! Oh PP
Delle
November 06, 15:32Umm…firstly, you really didn’t have to go so Shangela on me!
Secondly, sweetheart I’ve got my sources, ones I won’t be so generous to share seeing as you didn’t ask politely. You are clearly a Beyonce’s epiphyte and that’s why you keep posting things on her no matter how irrelevant.
In case you didn’t know, for two people to sing a song together, there must be a lil rapport. Honey, it aint no movie where you can pretend to be Angelina and Jennifer and get away with a Box Office! It’s real primetime music. Beyonce fed off of Shakira’s looming fame then and earned herself a hit, then threw my cute, little, sweet, sumptuous Columbian gazelle to the gutters! For fuck’s sake they didn’t record in the same studio! There were no red carpet events on them talking about the song together except once during its production!
When the song won best female collaboration at the grammy’s (I think)…only Beyonce was present. Durrgh!
Even if not friendship, at least a little acknowledgement.
Beyonce is a sassy b***h and that’s why she would completely ignore Kim when they sat with their husbands at that award show even when Kim was clearly looking for friendship…who does that?! That’s why she hasn’t featured Rihanna in any song, despite the proximity and the obvious fact that people are really looking forward to seeing that collaboration (I’ve stopped dreaming about it though).
I like Beyonce (her music only)…not her personality. So Pink my Panther…I don’t want no Beyonce cha cha anymore…and thanks for interrupting my dance routine!
*flings phone*
Peak
November 06, 15:47” When the song won best female collaboration at the grammy’s (I think)…only Beyonce was present.” In Mars right? Cos that shit never happened here.
“That’s why she hasn’t featured Rihanna in any song, despite the proximity and the obvious fact that people are really looking forward to seeing that collaboration ” **sigh** You really should have stopped while you were ahead, cos you just gave us all kinds of minister of wrong information tease.
Keredim
November 06, 15:55Peak in fairness he did say
” When the song won best female collaboration at the grammy’s (I think)…only Beyonce was present.”
He wasn’t sure which award it was. It was actually The BET Awards. Here on earth?
I am a Beyoncé fan as well, I just don’t have a blog devoted to her???
Peak
November 06, 17:18Lol, Keredim I saw what you did there oooo. Carry on.
Teflondon
November 06, 18:11I’ll rather have a successfully run blog devoted to Beyoncé than a failed blog all together.
Keredim
November 06, 18:22I’d rather have a “failed” blog entirely written with MY OWN words, than one composed of plagiarised words?
Pink Panther
November 06, 20:03LOL! Touché, Keredim.
Teflondon
November 06, 23:47PP you really ain’t as smart as I thought.. just when I was having your back as the initial joke was on you. You come up with Touché? Lol
Unbelievable
**looks in bewilderment**
Pink Panther
November 07, 07:13You. Have my back?! Ha! Honey, I’m not in the mood to get back-stabbed abeg.
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 06, 16:21Darling he’s got his sources! Don’t argue with the sources. They presented Beyoncé with the Grammy that day at the Civic Centre.
Delle
November 06, 17:02I was trying so hard to get something meaningful from what you wrote here, but I couldn’t…all I got was ‘shadiness’. Maybe you do not have enough data on ur phone due to one reason or the other and that’s probably the reason why you didn’t browse through the internet to satiate to edgy curiosity…but next time learn to comprehend and not just read before you comment.
OAN
Just so we are clear, u really didn’t say anything on the Rihanna issue…u just duplicated my statement…*walks away*
Pink Panther
November 06, 16:13Wait let me just ask u something, Delle.
You believe that there’s more rapport to be gotten between two music collaborators on a single track than co-stars on a film set? Are you serious? Wow.
Delle
November 06, 17:07Yes I believe so Pink. Whole-heartedly, cherry on cream I believe so!
Do you know how difficult it is to feign friendship throughout on-set dialogues? Maybe you don’t.
I’m out.
Pink Panther
November 06, 20:01*shaking my head* You’ve got your mind so centred on being a drama queen, you don’t even see sarcasm when it’s there.
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 06, 16:02She and Shakira haven’t spoken? Do you work for her cellphone company or manage her schedule?
Dickson Clement
November 06, 11:13‘how we’re smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bear the children, and get back to BUSINESS’… the lady is a smart business woman, and she is not just an individual now, she is a brand. Issues must be discussed and decisions made by very strong market strategy. She would have made her decision based on existing situation and how it would affect her label. She never spoke against the issue, she just kept mute which is a smart thing to do!! Gaymen ain’t her only audience! Don’t tell me all that booty work is for gaymen!
ken
November 06, 11:47This guy is just barking at the wrong tree. Beyonce can never support same-sex marriage. I mean, how do u expect a naturally born republic from houston texas to support gays???
His cries are just a waste of time! Beyonce may appear to love gays in order to sell records, but at heart she is a completely different person.
tarter
November 06, 12:07Peak?Delle? you both didn’t tell us you two fly to Beyonce’s room every night and gather information on her oo,how did you guys know all these?ehn ehn?tell me something…
see,Beyonce isn’t under any obligation to fight for any cause,she doesn’t owe you anything, ooo yes,gays love her,but did she force them too? or because of that she should go and do what she doesn’t want too?over the years Beyonce has spoken for LGBT,Jayz too,i remember they (bey and jay) supported frank ocean fully when he came out,most of the people that work with her(stylists,designers,make up artists,dancers etc) are gays/lesbians, what else do they want?her to carry a plycard and kiri “i support LGBT” ..??
Beyonce don’t need to do anything for you to fight for what you believe in,she’s not obligated too,so it’s either you fight for what uu want or forget it and stop wailing like a girl who hasn’t had orgasm in years..
and dennis calm down,Beyonce will never even notice your dislike for her,its not that serious, inugo? good.
Tobby
November 06, 18:39She doesn’t care
Rev; Hot
November 06, 21:00Beyonce… come and see your Naija fans (sorry I meant Army) ooooooooooh!!!! the only celeb I can fawn over for like this is Pharrell…..