Tank On Performing At Gay Pride Events: I Don’t Feel Like I’m Gonna Walk Into A Gay Room & All Of A Sudden Become Gay

Tank On Performing At Gay Pride Events: I Don’t Feel Like I’m Gonna Walk Into A Gay Room & All Of A Sudden Become Gay

Practicing homophobia is the last thing Tank is focused on in his career. 

Recently, veteran R&B singer Tank was a guest on Drink Champs, a weekly podcast which airs on Revolt TV hosted by DJ Nore and DJ Efn. 

Reflecting on his career, Tank, 46, was asked why he received backlash from fans from performing at a Black gay pride event in D.C in 2017

Tank, born Durrell Artaze Babbs, responded:

“Ima speak in terms of the Black community. There is a stigma. There’s a hate that goes along with being gay. Oftentimes in our language… too even degrade a person, to the lowest we can degrade ‘em, we use gay as the adjective, and so, that carries on even into entertainment.”

Tank heard how much they were offering and had no issue performing at the event. However, in the beginning of his performance he noticed that the crowd was responding with firm masculine energy being that he was the only heterosexual performer that night. Tank told the crowd to “turn up,” and there was a positive shift of energy as they cheered him along. 

Tank adds:

“It was at that moment that they understood, like, I have no judgment for you and your lifestyle. I only have love for you as a human being. You also are the reason why I’m able to feed my family. So I love you for that and I’m gon’ entertain, the same way I would entertain on any stage whether it’s a bunch of girls in the front row or a bunch of guys in the front row.”

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Tank, originally from D.C., received criticism on Twitter from fans after his performance at the Black pride event: 

He continues:

 “I’m secure in my shit. I don’t feel like I’m gonna walk into a gay room and all of a sudden become gay. When the backlash comes and people are saying oh “he must be gay,” I can laugh at that cause that’s not the worst thing you can call me cause I don’t see it as that.”

The singer mentioned he was also asked by his team if he was sure he wanted to take pictures. According to Tank, if it isn’t on instagram it wasn’t true. He took many pictures that day showing that he was in support of the LGBTQ community.

“I just did pride in Dallas! Where’s the bag at?!” he said. “I lead with love, I don’t care what it is.”

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