Warner Bros. Discovery NBA analyst Charles Barkley has long been known for his outspoken attitude. One where he’s been quite consistent is in his support of the LGBTQ+ community. And it seems like that’s continuing.
Barkley previously made comments saying he was certain he had played with gay players and wasn’t bothered by it. Additionally, he had stern words about how the NBA All-Star Game should be pulled from North Carolina over a controversial “bathroom bill” (the NBA eventually moved that game to New Orleans).
There were also two separate videos of him speaking out in support of the LGBTQ+ community at bars/casinos at Lake Tahoe last summer. They came around the annual American Century Championship golf tournament.
And it looks like Barkley has now done that again. TikTok user l._banana (who also posted the previous two videos last year) posted a video Friday morning that showed Barkley speaking in support of Bud Light. Conservatives criticized the company for its advertising partnership with trans actress and influencer Dylan Mulvaney. He offered Bud Light to those in attendance and said, “If you’re gay, bless you. If you’re trans, bless you.”
@l._banana 🏳️🌈 #sircharles #charlesbarkley #barkley #MentalHealth #transmentalhealth #celebritygolftournament #nbc #harveys #artytheparty #laketahoe #trans #gay #phoenixsuns #fyp #viral #transgender #charlesbarkleysays #iloveyou #ally #nohaters #protecttransyouth #lgbtqia #support #bekind #transgendersupport #Pride #transgenderawareness #psychpa #cnn #controversy #budlight #lgbt #lgbtq #rayallen #jerryrice #tnt #cbs #golf #fundraiser #harrahslaketahoe #americancenturychampionship @Dylan Mulvaney ♬ Hate Me Now (feat. Diddy) – Nas
“I want you all to drink this ******* beer, I want you all to drink this ****** beer, I got three cases of Bud Light. Hey, and I want to say this. If you’re gay, bless you, if you’re transgender, bless you. And if you have a problem with that, **** you!”
This bears a lot of similarities to the two videos the same user posted of Barkley making pro-LGBTQ+ comments around that ACC event last summer, with those videos also seeming to come from Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. But this does appear to be a new video, both with the specific mention of Bud Light (which Barkley also promoted on Inside The NBA this year while the Mulvaney controversy was raging) and with slightly different language. Last year’s videos showed him saying, “If you’re gay and transgender, I love you” and “If you are gay, lesbian, transgender, live your ******* life!”). Here are those past ones for reference:
@l._banana Classic Charles Barkley 💕 #sircharles #charlesbarkley #barkley #mentalhealth #transmentalhealth #celebritygolftournament #nbc #harveys #artytheparty #laketahoe #lbgtq #trans #gay #phoenixsuns #fyp #viral #transgender #charlesbarkleysays #iloveyou #ally #nohaters #protecttransyouth #lgbtqia #support #bekind #transgendersupport #pride #transgenderawareness #psychpa ♬ Charles Barkley Ally – l._banana
@l._banana Charles Barkley’s consistent message of allyship! #sircharles #charlesbarkley #barkley #mentalhealth #transmentalhealth #celebritygolftournament #nbc #harveys #artytheparty #laketahoe #lbgtq #trans #trending #duet #gay #phoenixsuns #fyp #viral #transgender #charlesbarkleysays #iloveyou #ally #nohaters #lesbian #allyship #protecttransyouth #lgbtqia #support #bekind #rolemodel #transgendersupport #Pride #transgenderawareness #psychpa ♬ original sound – l._banana
Barkley speaking up in favor of LGBTQ+ people isn’t new. His 2011 comments were cited by then-New York sports radio host Jared Max as part of why he decided to come out on air that year. Also, his 2016 comments about the North Carolina bathroom bill were some of the most prominent. They included a threat to boycott appearing on TNT coverage of All-Star Weekend if the game wasn’t moved. And his comments at the ACC last year drew a lot of attention.
But these latest remarks from Barkley are also notable. They come in a current environment where there’s an incredible amount of pushback against many LGBTQ+ people (including from some sports media figures). And the Bud Light comments are significant, too, with that brand taking a lot of conservative fire for its partnership with Mulvaney. Barkley is also saying these things as he’s preparing to launch a CNN show with Gayle King.
Some might decide to be more cautious with what they say about a career move like that. But Sir Charles seems to be sticking to his guns.
[l._banana on TikTok]
