You ARE the Bad Guy Billie
I Can't Stand White Lesbians
The last time I paid attention to Billie Eilish was when she graced the cover of British Vogue in May of 2021. I remember it so vividly because of the eye-catching pink bustier she wore in it, thought it was a pretty revealing photoshoot for a girl who hadn’t been legal for that long. I remember her saying that she just wanted to be seen as mature, that she had grown and wanted to be recognized. I thought that would be the last I’d see of baggy pants Billie but surprisingly, I was wrong. In her Power of Women Variety cover story in 2023 Billie came out as bisexual. Since then I’ve noticed her style change once again.
Billie has always been known for her baggy outfits and colored roots but this was different. Wearing bandanas under baseball caps, boxers poking out of her pants, layered tees on button-ups, and her smile always adorned by a set of grills. It reminded me of the style of early 2000s black rappers popularized—those like Ice Cube and Snoop Dog, Tupac, and Biggie Smalls. Accessories that marked a particular genre of hip-hop, rap, and culture.
Queer people are very familiar with the tendencies of white gay men turning into a black woman caricature when they step out of the closet. Their long acrylics and a ‘sis’ or ‘period’ always at the tip of their tongue. I’ve noticed the same thing happening with white lesbians. The ‘hey mamas’ of the sapphic world that lick their lips before inevitably speaking in a blaccent. The little smirk they throw your way, rubbing their hands to seduce you but failing because they resemble a cricket. What’s up with that phenomenon? What’s up with white queer people appropriating black culture to validate their identity? And why is it black aesthetics specifically that brings them validation?
I am merely using Billie Eilish to point out a bigger issue within our community. An issue that pertains to a very specific lesbian, the stud. Those that exude the masculinity that only a black lesbian could have. The locks, the pants, the white tees, the gold chains, all things that have us weak in the knees.
White people appropriating black culture is nothing new, we saw it with box braids, ‘brownie’ lips, and the glorification of the Kardashians' ass. This follows the same pattern. White people take an aesthetic that doesn’t belong to them and claim it as their own. For masculine lesbians the relationship they have with their gender is unique. They possess the femininity that comes with being raised a girl while simultaneously expressing the masculinity they find through their sexual orientation. Though entirely valid to lean into masculinity as a woman, there’s something to be said about black masculinity specifically that brings this validation.
I think it all comes back to black aesthetics and culture being regarded as rebellious, out-of-the-box, edgy, and different. Think about it, what did Miley Cyrus do when she wanted to shake her Disney persona? She shook her ass on live television. When Ariana Grande wanted to be seductive and grown she adopted the blaccent and tanned herself the same color as Nicki Minaj. All to be perceived as grown, rebellious, and different. It’s not that crazy of a theory to throw out there. Do white lesbians just feel cooler when they’re viewed as intimidating, rebellious people? I think so. Take my opinion with a grain of salt though, I am neither black nor a stud.
What I am though is observant. I have watched white lesbians put on their little white tank tops and buzz the underside of their heads all whilst dubbing it their ‘hey mamas’ phase. One on which they look back in cringe and thank god that they grew out of it. So it isn’t just about white lesbians cosplaying as studs and black men, it's the fact that once they dawn on their whiteness again they get to make fun of it, all while facing virtually no criticism. I have a problem with that.
With the rise of the golden retriever masc, we’re seeing it in real-time. White lesbians abandon their ‘hey mamas’ phase for a more refined one. Which cloaks itself in flannel, tattoos, and shaggy mullets. Always a little dorky but dominant in bed. It’s nice to see white lesbian aesthetics grounded in something other than black people's culture and aesthetics. The problem lies in the way that they look down on their old aesthetic. It’s a privilege to get to draw from black culture for your validation and ditch it when it becomes criticized and viewed as ‘cringe.’
There’s nothing wrong with leaning into one's masculinity when out of the closet it’s my favourite part of being a lesbian, but when push comes to shove white lesbians can take off their white tanks, and their backward hats and retreat to the safety of their flannels, a privilege black lesbians do not have. So when parading around in someone else’s look to appeal to the masses and be perceived as a ‘real’ lesbian it is still inadvertently hurting a community. The ‘hey mamas’ is a caricature of black aesthetics and that is undeniable. Maybe not the best idea to poke fun at and indulge in given the fact there is nothing inherently wrong with the look but rather who wears it.
Black lesbian who's been a Billie Eilish fan since I discovered her as a depressed teenager: this has been my longest-standing issue with her. Love her music and personality down but I get so sick of seeing her like this :/ This piece was short and to the point, got right to the middle like cracking open a walnut. Comparing with other celebrities like Miley and Ariana was insightful. Appreciate it.
as a black lesbian i definitely can see where people are coming from in this argument, however i don’t necessarily agree that it is a Billie Eilish problem as it is a white lesbian problem. Billie has been dressing in different formats of the same style for her whole career. it is indeed a style that is very reminiscent of 90s hip-hop fashion. however, Billie has given credit where credit is due. In multiple interviews she expresses her admiration for black artists like Donald Glover and Ice Cube, and she has never shied away from letting the world know that hip-hop and r and b are her main influences for her fashion. unfortunately, her credit often gets left out of the headlines, who praise her “individualist” style. i think Billie if actually one of the few queer women who gives the black community praise and recognition it deserves for the role it has played in every her life. other white lesbians i have issues with. they need to start taking billie as an example and dig deeper into the meaning behind what they are wearing instead of making it out to be some cool trend all the masc girls are doing.
i loved your take regardless, its so interesting to see how non-black individuals feel on the erasure of black culture!