Lil Nas X Snuck a Message About HIV Into His VMA Performance

Lil Nas X tends to make waves when he’s on stage, challenging viewers to confront ideas they may otherwise not in widely pervasive, heteronormative, mainstream media. Over the weekend, he performed at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards and included a subtle but powerful message about HIV/AIDS in the United States.

Lil Nas X collaborated with activist Mardrequs Harris, director of community investments for the Southern AIDS Coalition, donning black pants and a matching black shirt with “433,816” standing out in red, the number of Americans living with HIV in the South as of 2015. It’s worth noting that, in the six years since, GLAAD and Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative say that number has “increased substantially.”

.@LilNasX delivered a powerful performance at the #VMAs and shined a spotlight on the stigma that fuels HIV, especially across the South. Mardrequs Harris from @SouthernAIDSCo wore the number 433,816 in red, representing the the number of people living with HIV in the U.S. South pic.twitter.com/XNLvt9x9C7

— GLAAD (@glaad) September 13, 2021

Harris spoke out about the experience, calling it “surreal” and adding, “Having the opportunity to share the stage with Lil Nas X was something I never would have imagined. And to have him use his platform to raise awareness about HIV stigma is invaluable to our work.”

Lil Nas X has also been in the spotlight in the days leading up to his album for sporting a pregnant belly, gearing up for the metaphoric “birth” of his new LP, though it’s not just a marketing gimmick: He set up a “baby registry” for fans to donate to causes in his name, and many of the organizations it benefits support LGBTQ advocacy and HIV/AIDS activism.

The rapper performed a fittingly queer rendition of his hit singles “Industry Baby and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” before taking home the VMA’s top honor, Video of the Year, for the visuals in the “Montero” music video.

“I want to say thank you to the gay agenda,” Lil Nas X said during his acceptance speech. “Let’s go gay agenda!”