Snoop Dogg brought star power to Jackson State University on Tuesday (October), making a surprise entrance into the campus auditorium during GLAAD’s “Gen Z and HIV: The Human Problem. Southern Solutions. HBCU Tour.”
The hip-hop icon joined students, advocates and health leaders to discuss timely issues of HIV prevention in the Black community, as well as his recent remarks about LGBTQ representation in media.
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The event marked the kickoff of GLAAD’s HBCU tour, with Jackson State University as the first stop.
According to WLBT3, Snoop held a fireside discussion with Darian Aaron, GLAAD’s local news director for the South, to discuss his own learning curve and the broader HIV crisis affecting the South.
“HIV is far from over in the Black community, and Black people in the South, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status or number of partners, continue to face disproportionate risks,” Aaron said. “This tour will help students understand and protect the basics of HIV, including that it can be prevented through injections or daily medications, and that HIV is survivable and cannot be spread if treated properly.”
Hosted by JSU Spectrum and supported by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the program aims to provide critical education on HIV prevention and harm reduction to Gen Z students at historically Black colleges and universities.
Just a few months ago, Snoop was widely criticized for comments he made during an episode of the It’s Giving podcast, in which he expressed his displeasure with LGBTQ+ themes in children’s programming. Recalling watching Disney Lightyear with his grandson, Snoopy said:
“I’m afraid to go to the movies right now. You guys are putting me in the middle of something that I don’t have the answers for… It puts me in a difficult spot. Do we really need to show this at their age? They’re going to ask questions and I don’t have the answers.”
The comments sparked a backlash on social media and news outlets, with many accusing the rapper of being tone-deaf.
In October, Snoop took a more affirmative stance, releasing “Love is Love,” a song featured on his Doggyland children’s show that promotes diversity and acceptance in families.
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has chosen Jackson State University as the starting point for its tour to educate students about real information about HIV and how stigma, misinformation and silence continue to fuel the epidemic.
