Raury Breaks Silence on His Dolce & Gabbana Runway Protest: ‘I’m Not Just Screaming in the Dark Anymore’

This past week, Raury made headlines everywhere after he publicly protested Dolce & Gabbana while walking in a show for the high-fashion brand. The Atlanta artist removed his clothing when he got to the edge of the runway, where he had writings on his chest that read, "PROTEST," "DG GIVE ME FREEDOM," and "I AM NOT YOUR SCAPEGOAT."

Following the fashion show, GQ spoke with Raury, and he explained why he decided to protest the fashion brand. The Southern entertainer explained that the protest stems from Dolce & Gabbana's "Boycott" campaign that came after they received backlash for styling First Lady Melania Trump. The campaign featured T-shirts that read "Boycott Dolce & Gabbana" as well as a commercial with children that protested the brand.

"The 'Boycott Dolce & Gabbana' T-shirt they created completely makes a mockery of what 'boycotting' is. I saw a commercial featuring the boycott T-shirt, and it looked playful and lighthearted—it was a joke. It was a troll. Me, as a young man from Stone Mountain, Georgia, the birthplace of the Klu Klux Klan, I really felt this mockery of boycotting." Raury said.

Raury explained that he wanted his protest to also show his anti-Trump stance to the public.

"Boycotting matters," he continued. "Boycotting is real. Dolce’s entire campaign says it’s not real. I know that if I walk out there and support or endorse anything that sits next to Trump then that means that I support Trump also. I don’t support Trump. So I’m trapped, and I have to let people know that I don’t support Trump and I don’t support those who are trying to undermine the voice of the people."

Read Raury's full conversation with GQ here.