Nicki Minaj on Gay Teen Suicides: 'Be Brave'

In a touching interview with MTV News, Nicki Minaj spoke about the recent increase of suicide among gay teenagers around the country. She encouraged her gay fans to "be fighters and to be brave." Minaj also said "suicide is not the answer." "I faced opposition every day," Minaj told MTV News, "but I didn't kill myself and now, thank God, I'm here." The 25-year-old rapper said she wants her "life to be a testimony" to how fans face adversity. "I could never imagine what they're going through," Minaj acknowledged, "but I know that suicide is never the answer and I know that things always get better." Minaj pledged her love for her gay fans, saying, "I love you very, very much," and denounced their opponents. "For the people who don't love you, they need help." "I think when you're mean and you ridicule people, it's a sign of your own insecurity," Minaj said. The 25-year-old, whose own sexuality has been questioned, challenged gay teenagers to find "a different way to fight people back." "[With] suicide, you're giving up," she said. "I don't promote giving up. I promote fighting and winning."