Le1f. | Photo: Facebook via Le1f
New York gay rapper Le1f said has accused customs agents at an Australian airport of racism.
The rapper landed at Melbourne Airport in the country’s south. He says he was allegedly singled out by the same agent 16 and 19 February.
Le1f took to Twitter to describe the incident saying the agent allegedly threatened him when he stood up for himself.
‘A customs security at Melbourne Airport @Melair who’s been singling me out when i enter Australia just did it again,’ Le1f wrote on Twitter.
‘I said as a black man, I go through it a lot. He said “keep using that black stuff on me, and i’ll report you to my supervisor” and that he’ll make my life harder.’
a customs security at Melbourne Airport @Melair who’s been singling me out when i enter Australia just did it again. I said as a black man, I go through it a lot. He said “keep using that black stuff on me, and i’ll report you to my supervisor” and that he’ll make my life harder.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
Le1f was travelling Down Under for his last ever Australian tour, including a show on the night of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
The rapper has toured Australia multiple times, including travelling to remote Indigenous communites in the far north of the country. He was even seen enjoying the festivities at the biennial Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival.
a moment of black on black love with the Seisia Kayin Thithuil Dance Group from Saibai of the Torres Strait Islands ✌🏿🌏✌🏿 pic.twitter.com/cBBELCQv7V
— Khalif (@le1f) July 7, 2017
But Le1f made his feelings about Australia very clear, he was not a fan.
‘Y’all think i love Australia. no. i love to perform, to be with friends & to make money,’ he wrote on Twitter.
‘These are all things i can do in Australia as well as in a number of other white-homogeneous or colonized lands, and I choose to do so here at the expense of blatant racism on a daily basis.’
y’all think i love Australia. no. i love to perform, to be with friends & to make money. these are all things i can do in Australia as well as in a number of other white-homogeneous or colonized lands, and I choose to do so here at the expense of blatant racism on a daily basis.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
Melbourne Airport reached out to Le1f on Twitter to try and resolve the issue. The rapper said he did not have faith that the issue would be sorted out.
‘I’m sorry but tonight i do not have faith that, if i pursue this in this way, the institutions and systems of bureaucracy in this country will not find a way to punish me for my freedom of speech, which is not a right in the Australian constitution. maybe tomorrow,’ he responded on Twitter.
i’m sorry but tonight i do not have faith that, if i pursue this in this way, the institutions and systems of bureaucracy in this country will not find a way to punish me for my freedom of speech, which is not a right in the Australian constitution. maybe tomorrow.
— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
But the next day he responded to Melbourne Airport with a description of the incident.
Terminal 2, around 10am, 16 Feb
at bag claim 4 for UA98
then,
Terminal 2 around 9pm, 19 February.
i believe i was taken to security #3@Melair https://t.co/qn4e7HaGQl— Khalif (@le1f) February 19, 2018
Only a few days later Le1f shared a racist message he received on Grindr. Apparently he got the nasty message after he took to long to reply.
Warning: offensive content
A racist message rapper Le1f received on Grindr. | Photo: Instagram via @le1f
Gay Star News has reached out to Melbourne Airport for comment.
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