Nearly two decades after his cameo on the groundbreaking lesbian drama The L Word, rapper Snoop Dogg,53, has sparked backlash for anti-gay remarks made on a recent podcast. Known for hits like Drop It Like It's Hot, Snoop appeared on Sarah Fontenot's It's Giving podcast, where he recalled taking his grandson to see Pixar's Lightyear.

The film, which included a brief kiss between two female characters, prompted a question from the child about how two women could have a baby. Lightyear, released in 2022, was Disney's first animated feature to depict a same-sex kiss and portray a couple of the same gender raising a child. These scenes sparked backlash among conservative commentators and led to the film being banned in several countries such as the UAE.

The film’s protagonist, Alisha Hawthorne, is shown raising a child with her wife. “They’re like, ‘She had a baby with another woman’. Well, my grandson, in the middle of the movie, is like, ‘Papa Snoop? How can she have a baby with a woman? She’s a woman!” he said.


According to Snoop, the moment "F***** me up. I'm like, scared to go to the movies. Y'all throwing me in the middle of s*** that I don't have an answer for."

As backlash mounted online, fans dug up Snoop Dogg’s 2004 cameo on The L Word, with X user @mayowaword posting a screenshot that quickly surpassed 360,000 views. In the Showtime drama, he appeared as a guest performer at a fundraiser, an appearance that, at the time, was viewed as a notable moment of mainstream crossover for a series unapologetically centered on lesbian characters.

Fans speak out

Journalist Andréa Oldereide said Snoop's comments prompted her to withdraw support for the rapper despite being a longtime listener. She explained that she felt compelled to respond because his words contribute to harmful stereotypes. Her TikTok on the matter garnered over 40,000 views.

"Saying that queer identities shouldn't be visible to children wrongly implies that being LGBTQIA+ is shameful or adult-only, when in truth, kids themselves can be LGBTQIA+ and deserve to see positive, affirming depictions of people like them," Oldereide told Newsweek.

Oldereide, after posting her TikTok, received numerous comments echoing sentiments such as "gay stuff shouldn't be forced on us" or "it shouldn't be shown to kids." She argued that such reactions wrongly imply queer identities are inappropriate. She emphasized that representation in media is not about "forcing" anything, but about showing the diversity of family life, from same-sex couples to single parents and extended families.

Dr. Shanéa Thomas, an award-winning sexuality educator and licensed clinical social worker, told Newsweek that negative remarks from celebrities have a tangible impact on LGBTQ+ communities.

Divided reactions online

According to the Newsweek website, Oldereide's video drew pushback, with some commenters defending the rapper. One wrote: "Just because someone has a different opinion to you doesn't mean they're an inherently bad person." Another added: "Snoop is on point. No need to argue." Others disagreed with the narrative that LGBTQ+ representation is "too adult" for children. Threads user thats__x0 pointed out that children's media has always included complex themes.

LGBTQ+ advocates respond

The debate highlights ongoing tensions around representation in mainstream media. A spokesperson for LGBT Foundation stressed the importance of visibility. "Seeing LGBTQ+ people on screen is powerful and helps everyone feel seen. Negative remarks from high-profile figures cause real harm by fueling stigma and undermining hard-won progress," he told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to Snoop Dogg's publicists for comment. His criticism of LGBTQ+ themes in children's movies followed his viewing of Lightyear with his grandson, saying "they're putting it everywhere." Newsweek also contacted CAA Speakers, which represents Snoop Dogg for speaking arrangements, for comment.