Lizzo used her platform to denounce her home state’s new discriminatory laws during a keynote conversation at SXSW on Sunday.
During a conversation with Angela Yee, the pop star weighed in on Texas laws banning abortions and barring trans athletes from sports, alongside directives from Governor Greg Abbott himself to regard gender-affirming medical treatments as crimes and place parents of trans-identified children under investigation by children and family services.
Though she’s proud of the city that raised her, the “Truth Hurts” singer expressed disappointment in the way state government is being run.
“There are very regressive laws being passed,” Lizzo told Yee.
“They’re taking away the right for young children to have a chance to live authentically as themselves,” she continued. “It’s a violation of human rights. Trans rights are human rights.”
In regards to the state’s reproductive rights laws, which are currently among the most restrictive in the nation, Lizzo simply says “Mind your business.”
“The abortion ban is atrocious,” she said, slamming politicians for being “all up in your uterus.”
“Stay out of my body. This is not political.”
Though her platform is typically one of fun, joy and self-acceptance, Lizzo has never been one to shy away from political and humanitarian topics that she’s passionate about or moved by.
The rapper attended the annual music, television, film, and culture conference to help promote her new Amazon reality competition series, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, premiering on March 24. However, she took time away from promoting her show – and even announcing that she’s putting the final touches on her upcoming fourth studio album – to speak up on issues near and dear to her heart, especially when it comes to the state that raised her.
“I’m proud to rep Houston, but I’m not proud to rep Texas politics right now,” she said. “We got a lot of other things that we need…there are people in charge who can change things on a systemic level and they’re letting us down.”