Why does Queen Latifah absolutely refuse to come out?

At this point, does she really have to officially come out? I mean, it would be nice, but not really a surprise.

Some of her black fans might be mad.

Because she's a hypocritical cunt like the rest of the closet cases.

Every. One. Of. Them.

Um, unless you are really dense, she already did. She did not flat out say, "I AM A LESBIAN" but does she have to?

She publicly acknowledged her wife/ partner as her love and acknowledged their child. That's pretty solid.

Don't be hating on my Queen! I love her.

She did the half-assed Jodie Foster acceptance speech acknowledgement of her partner (and their kid) at the B.E.T. Awards in 2021. She also holds the partner's hand in public now but seems to leave room for Jesus if too many cameras are around.

It’s always been odd to me that gays are the only ones who publicly have to announce to the world their sexuality. No one else has to stand in front of a crowd and do this. It’s extremely personal. And there was a time when this was very important for visibility. But now I feel as long as someone doesn’t try to obfuscate the truth, or hide, or lie in interviews, I’m ok with it. I no longer need a People magazine cover. And Queen Ladtifah, as iconic in hip hop and pop culture as she is, has been, hasn’t been culturally relevant for over a decade now. Her coming out now wouldn’t move the discussion in any direction.

Why is it your business, OP?

R6, this is a gossip site, remember?

She is already out, though

Her gf is pretty

She hasn't found the right King Latifah.

Wrong R5 She's a worldwide star & her coming out would especially help out those in Africa that fear more "kill the gays" laws being passed.

QL is from the generation of old school black people who are pretty private about their personal business, its like Jamie Foxx not telling people why he almost died. Even if she was a straight woman she'd probably not discuss her man at all. And plus she is not some young starlet who needs sex appeal to prop up their career or something. Tyler Perry too. These people are established brands and don't need to share their personal lives to connect their audience.

[quote]… her coming out would especially help out those in Africa that fear more "kill the gays" laws being passed.

This is one of the most nonsensical comments I have read.

An out singer re-outing herself will assist people on another continent overturning “kill the gays” laws?

Uhh...she's been out for a while, dude.

“I get that no one should be pushed out of the closet” - no you don’t OP.

DL hypocrisy - on every thread on Sufjan people trip over themselves to say he didn’t need to come out as he was already basically out.

But with Queen Latifah being glass closeted is a great crime.

She's not even glass closeted anymore. She's out.

Please, even her brand name announces that she's such a "queen". Besides, she needs to maintain the illusion for her film career. She and Steve Martin made such a beautiful couple in 'Bringing Down the House'. It still rattles the production that she's lesbian because I want sooo much for Queen and Steve to be a romantic couple by the film's end. They're probably my favorite movie couple of all time; capturing the romance I hope to find in my own life at some point soon.

Maybe because it's called a "private" life.

The real queen, so much more talented than Treeoncey.

R15 It's more generational than hypocritical, here.

R12 Yours doesn't make sense since I didn't say she'd be able to overturn "kill the gay" laws anywhere.

LGBT Africans say they need more high profile black LGBT folks to come out without questionable sexuality like Michael Jackson & questionable behavior.

QL has a positive image in the singing & acting worlds & is a role model for many African women.

Many Africans wondered how so many female politicians could easily support anti-gay laws there. Latifah might help put things there where they need to be (in the future) by coming out now in a sit down interview & not just some brief throwaway carpet scene where she holds some mystery girl's hand.

I'm a member of the US community & even I didn't know she had done that small outing scene. I doubt many overseas folks were aware of her coming out scene either.

That’s her business.

What else do you want her to do? Lick box on the red carpet? She's out.

Like Whitney she was born in Newark, I condole them.

Like we care.

...Because she can't fit through the closet door?

The nasty responses from you guys says so fucking much about the shit you’ve been through, and it’s still a fucking rude attitude.

Anyone saying she’s been “out” for a while is delusional. Not addressing directly in some fashion that you’re gay is NOT being out. Jesus Christ. And I only found out about her thanking her partner after I wrote this so calm the fuck down. Still, it took her this fucking long? Come on.

R10, you do know she isn't an actual African Queen, right?

If she were lying to the public or engaging in showmanceship, sure, I’d be pissed.

She’s just quietly living her personal life.

R27, we all heard about it 2 years ago, don’t blame us.

R29, but she’s giving the impression that it’s shameful to be gay. This bitch had nothing to lose by coming out even twenty years ago.

Maybe she doesn't want to come out. It's her life, she can be closeted or semi-closeted if she wants to live that way.

[quote][R29], but she’s giving the impression that it’s shameful to be gay.

r31 she does not. QL does not discuss her relationships in the media, that's all. There are straight celebrities who decline to do so as well. You putting pressure on her to do so as a lesbian is a form of homophobia IMO. She should not be held to a different standard than other women or men who don't discuss their romantic life at work.

R33, talking about her sex life is one thing, simply acknowledging she was gay is something she avoided for decades. You can talk about one and not the other. She either felt a deep shame about it (homophobia is rampant in black communities) or she was afraid her brand would be tarnished or something.

There’s a huge difference between detailing your romantic life to the press and just saying “yeah, I’m gay”.

She came out. She is out.

Every time a celebrity does the whole “official” coming out thing, the reactions are always the same: “No shit, Sherlock! We been knew!” “They’re just doing it for PR!” “Why do they have to make a statement? Straight people never have to announce they’re straight!”

Just because someone is famous because of the work they do doesn’t mean they must be an open book regarding their personal life. Not all celebrities are attention whores.

[quote]She either felt a deep shame about it (homophobia is rampant in black communities) or she was afraid her brand would be tarnished or something.

The shame angle is one I expect she'll eventually detail in a memoir. It was apparent in many of her comments over the years when she was asked about the rumors. Once she opens up about it, all the oddly defensive respondents in this thread will go from "She was just being private" or "She wasn't closeted" to "She's so brave for acknowledging this and breaking down stigma."

R37, thank you for acknowledging that hypocrisy here too. She spent decades never talking about being gay as if there’s something wrong with it. I really think If she was a closeted gay MAN the queens on this thread would’ve been tearing her to bits for years for not publicly talking about their sexuality.

I really don’t think it’ll be addressed in a book, she’s too defensive and built up a tough image to admit that she felt ashamed or that she allowed herself to feel shame from the public/other black people.

I can't believe I'm back here.

What's it to you, OP? Seriously? Because she sends a message by coming out or she sends a message by not coming out - we may not agree with it, we may pity the freedom she's missing, but she's also sending a message that something out there in the world that prevents or frightens her from doing it. And that is a message too and not an untrue one. She's as deserving of her time and space as any of us were, even if it mystifies us.

i don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it

Maybe she just doesn't want to be constantly referred to as "queer" by straight media?

For real. when known people come out, they're basically forced to be full-time queer ambassadors for straight America, and live some sort of respectable "I've always wanted kids" lifestyle for the public.

I'm someone near her age who doesn't find any of that very appealing.

R40, deserving of her time? It’s been decades. We live in the most progressive time in history and she’s a very rich woman, she would’ve lost absolutely nothing by coming out much sooner. If she was a man I guarantee you queens would be mocking him for staying in the closet for so long but when it’s a woman she needs her space.

R42, well she IS queer, and I seriously doubt she would be expected to be a singular role model in a world where more and more people are coming out everyday. You think she would just reshape her life to fit a mainstream narrative? Yeah, no.

She felt shame because the black community she was born into made her feel shame and she wasn’t brave enough to let it go.

She’s come out OP. What more do you want? Leave her alone, she’s an icon at this stage.

Because her parents are alive, probably. Barry manilow denied for years he was gay until his mother died. There he was up on the stage, singing campy songs about nightclub murders and hamburger jingles and he was all, “Me? Gay? Certainly not”

Day after mom died…boom. Closet opened and he came toodling out like, “Gay? Of course I am!”

I’m sure Queen Latifah has been out to her family, friends, Hollywood industry for decades at this point.

For some reason people think announcing it publicly in a magazine or something means that the person is officially out of the closet.

I doubt there’s a closet for Latifah. I’m sure everyone who KNOWS her knows.

The idea that these gay stars like Latifah and Foster were keeping their sexuality a secret from everyone is just false.

The black community is not retarded.

This would be as shocking to black people as when Da Brat came out a few years ago. Everyone thought she was already out. No one cared.

Black family, Black church.

Queen Latifah came out at the 2021 BET awards.

[quote] “Peace — happy Pride!” exclaimed Latifah — real name Dana Owens — in the closing remarks of her acceptance speech.... “Eboni, my love,” Latifah, 51, said, touching her heart in salute of Nichols, 43. “Rebel, my love,” she added, warmly acknowledging the son she and Nichols reportedly welcomed together in 2019.

I agree with you OP. 100%. However the paranoia of homophobia that this country has largely executed could leave damaging scars on one’s psyche.

I love how there's at least a smooth half dozen references to her coming out in this thread alone and yet people are still like, "wHeN iS sHe GoNnA cOmE oUt, ThOuGh!?!?" Jesus.

Because the name King Latifah is already registered with SAG.

R50, yeah I now know she is, but she publicly kept that closet door locked for a long ass time, a time when she could’ve helped a lot of young black lesbians especially. How much of her fortune would’ve evaporated had she been open? None.

R46, I really didn’t think she was THAT much of a coward to not let her parents know her true self when she puts on an image of being so strong.

R45, an icon of shame and fear? Sure. She could’ve made a difference back when being a gay, black woman wasn’t in vogue. Now she’s just another name on a list of people who were too selfish to themselves and others.