The BET Awards Were Extremely Very Gay, Thank You Victoria Monét
(Photo by MICHAEL TRANAFP via Getty Images)
Here’s a truth about me: I don’t actually watch awards shows. Too much potential for uncomfortable moments, my second hand embarrassment cannot handle it. I don’t watch the Oscars, the Grammys, not even the Tonys, despite being a Broadway bitch. I usually just wait until the next day when all the clips and memes come out. But my favorite award show day- afters are the ones where there are performances, because then I get to watch my own little concert, and let me tell you, when I woke up this morning, nothing could have prepared me for how very gay today’s concert would be.
The show kicked off with Megan Thee Stallion performing a Megan album medley, which is how most things should start, probably.
Also, Victoria Monét performed her song Alright, which was more than alright. Monét also won Video of the Year at BETher awards for On My Mama, the latter presented to her by Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife, Jessica Betts, because why not double down on the epic gayness of this situation. Fun fact: These were Monéts first and second BET Award wins.
And now…the Usher tribute. Can we talk about the Usher tribute? Actually I don’t think I’m ready to talk about the Usher tribute. As a 90s baby and 2000s teen, I have loved Usher’s music as long as I can remember, but to see these amazing women performing his songs, AND NOT CHANGING THE PRONOUNS, including some queer women, was absolutely mind-rocking. If my fellow queer millennials and I had seen this as teens, it would have broken our little, oft-closeted brains.
Highlights of this epic tribute include Keke Palmer doing You Make Me Wanna, Coco Jones expertly spinning a girl in the audience during “There Goes My Baby”; Chlöe singing “she’s just a good kisser:” during Good Kisser, and Tinashe singing Nice & Slow.
The icing on this queer cake was Victoria Monét and Teyana Taylor dancing all over each other during Bad Girl.
Don’t worry about how many times I watched that performance, and I won’t worry about how many times you watch it.
So much seemed to have happened at the BET awards show so if I missed your favorite moment, PLEASE tell me about it so I can watch!
Queer News Encore
+ People are talking about Megan Thee Stallion’s Club Shay Shay interview
+ Kehlani would like to remind you that she is a lesbian, and their past experiences with men do not invalidate that
+ Here are some queer Barbies, including ones based on queer designer Daniella Kallmeyer and Kate McKinnon
+ Here’s the first trailer for Aubrey Plaza’s upcoming comedy My Old Ass
+ Black queer art curator Racquel Chevremont is joining The Real Housewives of New York City which is a string of words I know independently and not together but Nic is excited so I’m excited
+ Tinashe released a music video where she makes out with herself
+ P-Valley-inspired docuseries Down in the Valley is out early
+ Bridgerton creators really want you to trust them re: the queer storylines that weren’t in the books
+ One thing that helped Katy O’Brien realize she was queer was when she was more into the food she was eating than the guy she was on a date with
+ And last but not least, ICYMI, Amber Ruffin came out on the last day of Pride
