Through his Montero baby registry, Lil Nas X has raised about half-a-million dollars for various organizations affiliated with an HIV/AIDS advocacy group.
The 22-year-old rapper unveiled his “baby registry” last September alongside his MONTERO album, with each song on the 15-track project being linked to at least one charity. Fourteen of these nonprofits are affiliated with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative, an organization that “works to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Southern United States.”
So far, COMPASS organizations have helped upwards of 175,000 people gain access to appropriate healthcare, and they also help lead HIV advocacy efforts throughout the South. Just last year, the initiative expanded to three new states (Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky) and helped recruit new organizations to serve as grantees (i.e., affiliates).
“Communities all across the South, like my home state of Georgia, are being transformed by the work of COMPASS grantees,” Lil Nas X said of the initiative. “The Montero baby registry was created to send resources to grassroots groups serving the most vulnerable. Funds raised will go to people living with HIV and inspire a new generation of leaders who will keep pushing for HIV education and one day, a cure.”
With Lil Nas X‘s help, COMPASS grantees listed on the Montero baby registry raised about $500,000. The news was broken earlier today in a statement by a grantee known as The Normal Anomaly Initiative, “a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting Black, queer+ people with overcoming barriers.”
We did it!
— Mika Jain (@mikajain) March 29, 2022
Slowly but surely, we are ending #HIV stigma & outdated laws that prevent folks from living healthy lives.@LilNasX @BeOurCOMPASS @ArtemisAgency pic.twitter.com/lwBqWLbIKV
“Lil Nas X has allowed our organization to dream big! Through these funds we are not only able to create a brave space for community, celebrate entrepreneurship and have queer musical artists headline a festival, but we are able to continue to raise money through ticket sales to impact necessary programming including our community burial fund, transgender services and programs that directly impact people living with and impacted by HIV,” Ian L. Haddock, Executive Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, says.
Dr. Shanell L. McGoy, Gilead Sciences’ Director of Public Affairs and Corporate Giving, also spoke on the success of the Montero baby registry.
“Donations from the Montero baby registry will have a direct impact on communities affected by HIV and we’re deeply thankful for Lil Nas X and his sustained advocacy for HIV awareness and education,” he added. “The Gilead COMPASS Initiative is committed to supporting the work of community-based organizations working around the clock to address HIV-related stigma, increase access to resources that support wellness and encourage leadership and advocacy across the Southern United States. The baby registry donations are a welcomed and added boost for our grantees.”
Shoutout to Lil Nas X for making a difference and fighting for a cause that hits close to home to the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
