An interesting trend piece and its loud rejection from the commentator and scholar Marc Lamont Hill. The phrase “no homo” has been appearing in youth and rap culture as a deterrent of suggestions of homosexual thoughts. Think of it as “that’s what she said,” but with a gay tone.

By punctuating even the most sexually non-suggestive sentences with a homophobic disclaimer, we reinforce the idea that gay and lesbian people are worthy of ridicule, shame, and surveillance. This notion is particularly troubling within hip-hop culture, which is sustained by the creative work of gay stylists, writers, choreographers and, yes, rappers.  The use of “no homo” also reveals a deep homoerotic impulse within our culture. After all, how can you constantly say “no homo” without constantly thinking about gay sex? Perhaps, instead of finding new ways of deriding gay and lesbian people, we could devote that same energy to figuring out why we’re obsessed with them. The answer may be deeper than we think.

Photo courtesy of MarcLamontHill.com