Lil B's Apology for His Transphobic Tweet Will Restore Your Faith That People Can Change

On Monday evening, rapper Lil B made a social media faux pas when he sent out the following tweet to his 1.15 million followers:

Twitter's reaction incited Lil B to rescind the remarks, apologize and say he was "still growing" — all within an hour of his first post.

Instead of defending himself or cowering, Lil B realized what he said, and as part of his apology, began retweeting people's objections. 

He also took the time to dole out a piecemeal apology of his own.

Lil B's apology and respective change in his perspective is unusual, to say the least. "Homophobia and transphobia in hip-hop are well-documented," reported the Daily Beast after artists such as Snoop Dogg and Timbaland mocked Caitlyn Jenner's transition. The rapper embraced his phobia for what it was: insecurity and fear of what he doesn't understand. "I need help to learn to accept[.] I'm scared because I'm not comfortable with my self [sic][.]" 

Fans ended up praising him for his about-face. 

The Twitter frenzy comes at a time when support for trans rights is on the rise in the United States. Public figures like Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox have made the issue more high-profile, and tolerance for transphobia is waning across the country. What started off as a lone, bigoted comment turned into a larger conversation about the transgender community and equality.