DaBaby 'Apologized' to and 'Genuinely Engaged' with Black LGBTQ Leaders Following Homophobic Rant

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DaBaby has met with leaders of the LGBTQ community to mend the harm some say his comments caused.

On Tuesday, Black members of nine HIV organizations held a virtual, private meeting with rapper DaBaby, 29, to discuss the impact of his comments regarding gay people and those living with HIV/AIDS after the organizations penned a letter to the rapper to "call him in instead of calling him out."

"We believed that if he connected with Black leaders living with HIV that a space for community building and healing could be created. We are encouraged he swiftly answered our call and joined us in a meaningful dialogue and a thoughtful, educational meeting," the statement read.

"During our meeting, DaBaby was genuinely engaged, apologized for the inaccurate and hurtful comments he made about people living with HIV, and received our personal stories and the truth about HIV and its impact on Black and LGBTQ communities with deep respect," the statement continued, before thanking him for being open and eagerly participating in the discussion.

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The organizations wrote that they hope their meeting will encourage DaBaby to "use his platform to relay that critical information to his fanbase and encourage people to get tested and know their status."

Among the organizations in attendance were GLAAD, the Black AIDS Institute and the Southern AIDS Coalition.

The conversation with DaBaby comes weeks after he made homophobic remarks about those living with HIV during his appearance at Rolling Loud Miami. The comments led him to be removed from the lineups of several major music festivals as he received backlash from stars such as Madonna, Elton John and Dua Lipa.

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According to the LGBTQ organizations' statements, the leaders shared with DaBaby that HIV is a racial justice issue since Black Americans account for 43% of those diagnosed with HIV, that people with HIV can be treated and live healthy lives while not transmitting the virus and that HIV is "a chronic health condition, not a death sentence."

"DaBaby's willingness to listen, learn, and grow can open the door to an entirely new generation of people to do the same. We are proud to be part of the Gilead COMPASS Initiative's efforts to train nearly 13,000 people to become more effective leaders and advocates within the HIV community across the South and hope that each can have impactful conversations just like ours with DaBaby," said Marnina Miller in the press release. "Ending HIV stigma requires doing the hard work of changing hearts and minds, and often that begins with something as simple as starting a dialogue."

"We hope DaBaby will use his platform to educate his fans and help end the epidemic," Miller added.