Azealia Banks complains she can't use anti-gay slurs, when men can say 'b***h'

The rapper has been criticised in the past for using homophobic language

Rapper Azealia Banks attends the Nasty Gal Melrose Store Launch on November 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (John Sciulli/Getty Images for Nasty Gal)

Never shy of sparking a debate on a controversial topic, Azealia Banks has sparked criticism for complaining that she can’t use derogatory terms to describe gay men.

Campaigners have criticised Banks’ remarks, saying that offensive slurs are never acceptable.

In an Instagram post published last night, the '212' rapper asked why it was acceptable for a “gay man to colloquially use the word “B*tch””, while she cannot use the word “f*ggot” in reference to herself or “an opponent”.

Seemingly anticipating a backlash, Banks named the post “Azealia Banks is Homophobic 1.”

“Do gay men get a special pass to say misogynist things simple because they Like d*ck?”she asked, before arguing “b*tch” is an equally harmful word.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity Stonewall were among the critics of Banks’ comments.

A spokesman from the charity told The Independent: “These words are slurs, whoever says them”.

One Instagram user hit back at her post, and called her argument “STUPID,” adding: “I know you are smarter and more emotionally intelligent than this @azealiabanks."

Another user wrote: “You cannot use your status on social media to promote anti-racism and then oppress another oppressed group.”

Banks, who has said she identifies as bisexual, has been criticised in the past for her use of homophobic language, after she called gay blogger Perez Hilton “a f*ggot” last year.

The rapper more recently went head-to-head with a gay Vice columnist Mitch Sutherland, tweeting at him: “even if i am a homophobe… so wat? [sic] i still make more $ than you.. still have an extra hole.. and still own everything

“the harsh truth. you gay bloggers try waving the homophobia flag at me like women are not the original source of all things fabulous, feminine and clever. Like I said… I own AWWWWWLLLL of this. It’s mine.

“do you know that I am a woman and I invented everything feminine? Including giving birth to gay men?”

Faced with criticism over her comments, Banks responded by criticising the “gay white media”.

“Gay media has to stop using homophobia as a means to try and victimize itself and scar the names of its opponents”.