Megan Thee Stallion: The Consequences of Being A Sexual Black Woman

Photo: ELLE

“I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay,” Megan told People Magazine in a statement. “Trust, fidelity, and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”

After the death of her parents, grandparents, and the shooting by Tory Lanez, Megan Thee Stallion was facing one battle after another. For many Black women, this breakup sank deep. But the reactions from men were completely different. It felt like a moment of relief for men as they took to the internet to celebrate what Thompson had done to Megan.

Megan Thee Stallion is the epitome of confidence. Millions of women across the globe have had their own versions of a ‘Hot Girl Summer’ thanks to her. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of Meghan’s music, you’re a fan of her character. But when she started dating Klay Thompson, Meghan looked happy, radiant even. It seemed like she was finally being loved out loud, which is often rare for Black women.

Whilst Megan represents confidence for some, she’s also seen as a threat to the status quo. Black women, especially those in the public eye, have been conditioned to be pure and soft. Meghan’s ownership of her body does not adhere to the respectability politics Black women have been socialized to perform to.

Those standards, however, do not apply to men. This group of men is often protected from the reputational damage of cheating. We deem men as inherently sexual beings, so when a man cheats, there’s a belief that it is in his nature to do so. This viewpoint is particularly extended to male athletes who have the money, good looks, and status to attract any type of woman they desire.

On a podcast, rapper Mase said the relationship was doomed to break up because of Thompson’s appearance, alleging that he was too good for Megan. “Klay is 6’7”, light-skin with good hair as an athlete,” Murda said at the 43:47 minute mark. “He didn’t need Megan. If you 6’7” and you’re light-skinned with good hair, you could have anybody. I think we all know that.”

Black women also had their two pence on the breakup. Some women questioned why Meghan had faith in Thompson, as he has a history of infidelity. Others believed Meghan was giving Thompson the wife treatment, criticizing her for cooking meals for Thompson and his family.

Rather than holding Thompson accountable, these women believe it’s Meghan’s responsibility to ensure that she has chosen a good man. They blame Meghan for continuously choosing bad partners and giving away too much, too early.

Whilst both men and women had a lot to say about Meghan, the comments from men felt more alarming. A meme of Meghan surfaced on the internet, which highlighted how men really viewed Megan. In the animated picture, Megan is crouched on all fours on a bed, with a line of all her ex-boyfriends behind her.

It suggested that Megan is a pass-around and can’t keep a man. Instead of holding Thompson accountable for his actions, it is Meghan and her body count that are called into question. But why? In a video that went viral, a Black woman asked why other famous white women with similar dating histories have not had the same treatment.

Meghan has agency over her body and her sexuality, and this makes men uncomfortable. But this isn’t random; it’s an example of misogynoir.

To some men, Meghan is viewed as a Jezebel, and these women aren’t worthy of love. Even when Meghan and Klay were happily together, men refused to view the relationship as real or long-lasting, and unfortunately, they were right. But this has nothing to do with Meghan’s sexuality; the fault lies with Thompson’s actions.

Dr. Shardia Briscoe-Palmer, an assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Nottingham, explains that the Jezebel stereotype has its roots in many centuries. “In the Bible, Jezebels were unmarried local women who sought power through manipulation.”

Palmer says a Jezebel is a concept and stereotype of a female sexual promiscuity. “A Jezebel is also known to describe the manipulative, deceptive nature of a woman who uses her womanly assets to achieve what she wants.”

Women of all races have been associated with this stereotype, but Black women’s sexuality is often policed more than White women’s. The idea that Black women were Jezebels started to appear in the 19th century when white slave owners created the myth that enslaved women desired sexual relations with white men. It was used as a defense to justify the rape and assault that Black women received.

“Black women’s bodies have always been a place of medical exploration, eroticisation and infatuation,” Briscoe-Palmer tells Sainted Magazine. She adds that men are programmed to think their position in this world is to lead, control, and often dominate women in all walks of life, including sex and sexualities.

From the inception of modern feminism, Black women have been segregated from white feminist movements. The concerns of Black women have been continuously ignored or reduced, including Black women’s sexuality. White feminism deemed white women as the prize, docile and fragile, while stereotyped Black women as hypersexual.

Currently, we are also witnessing how pink pill content is shaping Black women’s identity. Women in the pink pill space are reinforcing gendered stereotypes such as believing that Black women are overly masculine. These creators teach Black women to be in touch with their femininity and perform Black womanhood.

Unfortunately, several of the negative comments related to Meghan were from Black men. Whilst Dr. Briscoe-Palmer doesn’t believe that Black men have more of an issue with Black women being confident in their sexuality, she does believe there is a relationship or interconnectedness of what a Black woman’s body means to them.

“For many Black men, representation of a Black woman comes in the form of their mother, sister, daughter, aunty, etc., and so witnessing the sexualities of this representation of a Black woman on public display is in many ways ‘carrying private business out of the house, aka the bedroom.”

She continues: “The over policing of Black women’s sexuality tends to lie in the perspective that their bodies have always been controlled, whether by the slave master, their husbands, or popular culture.” But Dr. Briscoe-Palmer thinks the current movement of Black women taking control of their sexuality is powerful, especially the confidence that women like Megan display.

We now live in a world where women are granted the choice to be free with their bodies.

Whether this means being celibate or having multiple sexual partners, for Black women, our choices will always continue to be policed. But we must have the final say in what we do with our bodies, regardless of what men think. Hopefully, Meghan and Black women who own their agency find the love and community they deserve.