Bad Bunny isn’t just one of the most influential music artists of our time: he’s also a fearless LGBTQIA+ ally.
Hailing from Puerto Rico, the 31-year-old superstar began his music career in 2013, self-releasing tracks on SoundCloud. After signing with DJ Luían’s Hear This Music label in 2016, Bad Bunny skyrocketed to global fame, dropping a string of iconic singles — including ‘DtMF’, ‘Moscow Mule’ and ‘Dakiti’ — and cementing his status as the undisputed “King of Latin Trap”.
But it’s not just his record-breaking music and showstopping performances that have won hearts. From shutting down homophobes on Twitter to delivering queer-inclusive shows, Bad Bunny has consistently used his platform to stand up, and stand out, for the LGBTQIA+ community.
With the Puerto Rican superstar now named headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl, we’re looking back at some of his most unforgettable moments as an LGBTQIA+ ally.
1: When he refused to be defined by his sexuality
In an interview with the LA Times (20 February 2020), Bad Bunny said his sexuality “does not define me”: “At the end of the day, I don’t know if in 20 years I will like a man. One never knows in life. But at the moment I am heterosexual, and I like women.”
He also explained why it’s so important for him to include queer and disenfranchised people in his work, saying, “There are people who listen to reggaeton and love it and, at the same time, have never felt represented within it.”
By refusing to be defined by his sexuality or limit future possibilities, Bad Bunny showed that his allyship embraces openness, inclusivity and respect for diverse identities.
2: When he paid tribute to murdered trans woman Alexa Negrón Luciano on Jimmy Fallon
On 28 February 2020, Bad Bunny appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform his single ‘Ignorantes’ and promote his third studio album, Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana.
During the performance — which featured special guest Sech — the superstar wore a skirt and a sweater that read, “They killed Alexa, not a man with a skirt.”
His shirt was a tribute to Alexa Negrón Luciano, a homeless transgender woman who was brutally killed in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, four days earlier.
Witnessing trans allyship like this from one of the world’s most popular artists, particularly in a climate that has become increasingly hostile toward trans people, was a powerful reminder of how visibility and advocacy from influential figures can challenge prejudice, honour victims and spark meaningful conversations about justice and equality.
3: When he served C.U.N.T.
In March 2020, Bad Bunny went viral on social media after donning full drag — red latex, big breasts, the whole mothertucking fantasy — in his larger-than-life music video for ‘Yo Perreo Sola’.
A few months later, the Grammy winner opened up to Rolling Stone about the inclusive video and why he chose to dress in drag, telling the outlet: “[I] always felt like there [was] a part of me that is very feminine. But I never felt as masculine as I did the day I dressed up like a drag queen.”
Although Bad Bunny anticipated homophobic comments online, he knew the positive response would outweigh the negative. “I knew there were going to be comments saying, ‘F—-t! Gay! Bad Bunny is over,’” he explained.
But he became a drag queen to “show support to those who need it. I may not be gay, but I’m a human who cares.”
4: When he played his first queer role in Prime Video’s Cassandro
In 2023, Bad Bunny starred in the LGBTQIA+ biopic Cassandro alongside Gael García Bernal.
Set in the 1980s, the film follows Saúl Armendáriz, aka Cassandro (Bernal), and his groundbreaking life as the first openly gay wrestler in Mexico’s Lucha Libre. Bad Bunny played Felipe, Saúl’s love interest.
Ahead of the film’s release, Bad Bunny spoke to Time about his role and his first on-screen kiss with a man.
“It was cabrón [badass]. My first kiss for a movie, and it was with a man. That’s the penalty I get for being with so many women during my life,” he told the publication.
“If you’re acting, you’re being someone you’re not. That’s the fun part. So when they asked me for that, I said, ‘Yes, I’m here for whatever you want.’ I think it was very cool; I didn’t feel uncomfortable. It’s part of acting. It’s part of what I’m doing.”
5: When he was awarded GLAAD’s Vanguard Award
Bad Bunny was awarded the Vanguard Award in March 2023 for making a “significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.”
While accepting the award, he said: “The first thing I want to do is say thank you to GLAAD for this recognition. Thank you to the whole LGBTQ community for embracing me, for loving me the way they do, and for looking up to me.
“I believe that when you have a good heart and you give love, that’s what you receive back. That’s what I’ve wanted to do all this time with my music.
“When you act in good faith and with your heart, that’s what happens: you’re brought to beautiful places, in front of beautiful people, and I’m grateful for where I am. I’m grateful for the people that love me today.”
6: BONUS – every time he wore a Chromatica t-shirt!!!
bad bunny being the biggest chromatica stan pic.twitter.com/u8vc0qCiHC
— pop culture gal (@allurequinn) February 6, 2023
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