Councilman Slams Shakira For Promoting 'Lesbianism' In Music Video With Rihanna

The Controversial Reason Why Some People Are NOT Happy About Shakira's New Video

A Colombian councilman is slamming Shakira for promoting "lesbianism" in her new music video.

Marco Fidel Ramirez, a conservative Christian councilman from Bogota, denounced Shakira's recent music video for "Can't Remember to Forget You," which features Rihanna. In the video, the two scantily clad singers caress each other while crooning about a lover who is hard to shake.

Last week, Ramirez tweeted that the video was "SIMPLY DISGUSTING" and an "unabashed glorification of lesbianism." (Ramirez has spoken out against "nontraditional" things, such as "satanic" Halloween, before.)

He is trying to get the Autoridad Nacional de Televisión, Colombia's national television authority, to ban the music video in the country, the Associated Press noted.

On Twitter, as well as on his website, Ramirez ranted about Shakira and Rihanna's "lesbianism" and their use of tobacco.

According to a Huffington Post translation, a message on his website reads:

The family councilman, Marco Fidel Ramírez, categorically rejects the content of Shakira's latest video because it hurts the moral character of Bogota, Colombia and Latin America's youth.

Ramírez is vindicated as the defender of principles and values and profoundly laments that the talented Colombian singer has allowed herself to be part of the moral decomposition by participating in a "simply disgusting" video with Rihana [sic] another renowned musical artist.

While Ramirez has taken issue with the video showing same-sex affection in general, others have taken issue with the video's portrayal of that affection.

In a piece that appeared on Jezebel, the Lingerie Lesbian critiqued Shakira and Rihanna's use faux-lesbian posturing.

"This kind of performance doesn’t just demean lesbian sexuality, it demeans female sexuality as a whole. The questionable agency of the same sex interaction calls into question the motives of all of their actions," she wrote. Adding, "I certainly don’t entirely condemn Rihanna and Shakira for this—it just frustrates me to see this kind of homoerotic posturing when it’s nearly impossible to see examples of queer relationships taken seriously. I’m so tired of having same-sex intimacy co-opted as a performance for others to enjoy."

Since its debut on Jan. 30, the "Can't Remember to Forget You" video has been viewed more than 71 million times.

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