Model Amber Rose angrily answered Instagram trolls who trash-talked her 5-year-old son as “gay” for being an enthusiastic fan of Taylor Swift.
“Shout out out to all the hyper masculine men and ignorant dumb ass women that will call a five-year-old gay for liking Taylor Swift,” Rose wrote in her Instagram story on Wednesday, a day after she posted videos of her son Sebastian delightedly opening a gift from Swift.
“This is why young kids kill themselves. And this is also why our society is so fucked up,” Rose continued. “We allow him to be himself. He can listen to whatever music he likes, he can like whatever color he wants and we let him be passionate about whatever his little heart desires.”
Rose’s strong words came after she posted two videos on Tuesday of Sebastian opening a personalized gift from the musician, which included VIP tickets to an upcoming concert.
“This is going to be so exciting,” the little boy says in one of the videos.
The videos garnered thousands of responses, including some from people who seemed troubled by the kid’s Taylor Swift fandom. Rose, host of the podcast “Loveline With Amber Rose,” decided enough was enough.
She explained that she and ex-husband Wiz Khalifa, Sebastian’s father, “don’t make our son live by society norms that’s why he’s so special,” and that “liking a certain type of music will not make you ‘pick’ your sexuality.”
She added: “P.S. my son just got accepted into the most prestigious private school in Los Angeles because he’s smart as fuck and creative as fuck like his parents.
“He also has more money in his bank account than any of you trolls could ever imagine Lol.”
Rose implored fans to “do better for the next generation” and “teach ur kids to love and not hate.”
She ended the rant with this: “Regardless if he’s gay or straight when he gets older he will be around the most amazing loving people that will support him no matter what.”
A study of 760 teens by Violence Prevention Works found that 78 percent disapproved of anti-gay teasing or bullying. Those most likely to be bullied are “kids who are gay or thought to be gay,” the study found.
The organization notes that bullying and harassment have damaging effects on LGBTQ students, including “extreme anxiety, depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and thoughts of suicide.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.