Dua Lipa 'Horrified' By DaBaby's HIV, Gay Remarks

Dua Lipa has expressed surprised and horror regarding DaBaby's remarks about HIV patients and gay men.

On her Instagram story, the singer stated that she did not "recognize this as the person I worked with" and that she was "100% with the LGBTQ community."

"We must work together to combat the stigma and ignorance surrounding HIV and Aids," she added.

Rapper DaBaby, who appeared as a guest artist on Dua's hit 'Levitating', has been chastised for remarks he made at a US festival.

When he performed at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami, he invited everyone in the audience to "put your cell phone light up," except for those who were HIV-positive or gay men who had sex in parking lots.

He also falsely claimed that HIV will "kill you in two or three weeks."

For decades, HIV medication has been available to help people with the virus live long, healthy lives.

DaBaby's comments were backed up by rapper TI, who stated that if Lil Nas X, who frequently asserts his sexuality onstage, can say and do whatever he wants, then DaBaby should be able to do the same.
Many others, however, have criticized DaBaby, including the UK's leading HIV and Aids charity.

"It's wrong for people living with HIV to be made to feel lesser or excluded because of their diagnosis - it should be unacceptable in the music industry and in society at large," says Richard Angell, campaigns director at the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).

"Comments like DaBaby's perpetuate HIV-related stigma and discrimination, as well as spreading misinformation about HIV.

"You can now live a long, healthy life with HIV thanks to medical progress when you're diagnosed and accessing treatment."

Medication to manage HIV and stop it from spreading has been available since 1996.

The introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep), which can be taken by people who do not have HIV to prevent catching it, has helped to reduce infection numbers.

People who have HIV and are on treatment can be undetectable - meaning their blood carries such low amounts of the virus that they are unable to pass it on to others.

DaBaby's comments have been widely criticised on social media - including by BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter, Yasmin Evans.