Photo by: (Left) Kehlani by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images. (Top Middle) Young M.A. by Joseph Okpako/WireImage. (Top Right) Saucy Santana by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images. (Lower Right) Lil Nas X by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy.
It’s June 1st, so you know what that means! Happy Pride Month!
As we celebrate Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community, we must honor those who openly celebrate themselves and are unapologetic.
Here are some of our favs who not only represent the LGBTQ+ community but do it well!
Javicia Leslie
Javicia Leslie, who plays Batwoman on The CW, describes her character as a superhero who sows seeds of empowerment for the LGBTQ community.
Source: Steven Ferdman / Getty
Leslie, 33, is the first Black woman and the first bisexual woman to play Batwoman, following in the footsteps of a long line of superheroes. She plays Ryan Wilder, a new character in the DC universe who becomes Batwoman after discovering the Batsuit after the former Batwoman, Kate Kane, disappeared in a plane crash.
In an interview with Health Magazine, the ‘Batwoman’ actress said that she had not yet told her mother about her bisexuality when she was cast in the role for The CW Network.
âI was talking to my momâwe had to have a conversation when I got this role because I knew my sexuality would be discussed. She and I had never talked about it,â she revealed.
Leslie continued.
âShe was like, âYou donât have to talk to me about it. Iâm your mother, Iâve known since you were a child.â Once that was said, I didnât have to speak to anyone else about it because my mother knew me and understood me.â
Tessa Thompson
Actress Tessa Thompson discusses her sexuality and close relationship with musician Janelle MonĂĄe in a 2018 interview with Porter magazine.
“I’m attracted to both guys and women,” Thompson revealed.
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
On the other hand, when it came to MonĂĄe, she was more evasive. After they walked the red carpet together and Thompson starred in MonĂĄe’s music videos, fans speculated whether the two had been dating for years.
The 38-year-old actress shared that she grew up in a “free” household where “you can be anything that you want to be,” as she acknowledged that not everyone was as fortunate to have the same supportive upbringing.
Saucy Santana
Everyone’s favorite material girl, Saucy Santana, recently shares his coming-out story during his teenage years.
When he was a teenager, he first began telling people he was bisexual to ease them into the concept of him being gay.
Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty
âI had came out as bisexual at first, just thinking, if I come out bisexual, b*tches will get the clue,â he said. âAnd thatâs why I tell people to this day, be yourself â b*tches gonna f*ck with you regardless. I told everybody I was bisexual, and girls still wanted to be my girlfriend.â
Despite dating women, Saucy Santana was well aware of his sexuality and finally chose to come out as gay. However, trying things out for himself provided him with some funny stories in the meanwhile!
Kehlani
Singer and songwriter, Kehlani has been relatively open about her sexuality.
The Oakland native, who has long identified as queer and bisexual, announced last year on TikTok that they are a lesbian. “I am gay, gay, gay,” the singer and songwriter declared in their video. “I’ve finally realized I’m a lesbian.”
Source: Neil Mockford / Getty
The 27-year-old singer made a joke about coming out to their family.
“We know, certainly,” they said as their family’s reply was.
Fans aren’t likely to be surprised by the news either.
Kehlani, who uses the pronouns she/they, has previously received comments about their sexuality, remarking in a now-deleted tweet, âI felt gay always insisted there was still a line drawn as to which âlabelâ of human I was attracted when I really just be walking around thinking ERRYBODY FINE.”
They had not, however, told their family about their sexual orientation at that time.
Young M.A.
Brooklyn native, Young M.A. is one of the most well-known rappers that belongs to the LGBTQ+ community.
She has dated women in public, including Tori Brixx last year, but she no longer feels the need to categorize her sexuality.
Source: Joseph Okpako / Getty
When asked about her sexual orientation, Young M.A. stated that she is not a lesbian.
In response to the question, she stated, “No, I’m Young M.A.” “We don’t believe in labels. I simply would not date a man. That doesn’t sit well with me, bro.”
EJ Johnson
Magic Johnson’s son, EJ Johnson is another one of our favorite member of the LGBTQ+ community!
Johnson recently revealed that he was out, openly gay man around his friends, however, his parents were the last to know.
“[My parents] were the last people that I really had to talk to about it,” the 29-year-old shared.
He continued.
Source: JC Olivera / Getty
“It wasnât new for me, but they had to really take that in and digest it. Especially my dad, because he was really the last person to talk to.”
According to EJ, the tension was running high in the Johnson’s residence. EJ, who was 17 at the time, was spending his final months with his family before embarking on his newfound independence at NYU. Soon later, Johnson paid him a visit in New York, and the two have reconciled.
Willow Smith
According to The List, the “Transparent Soul” singer, Willow Smith discussed her sexuality with her mother Jada Pinkett Smith and grandmother on a 2019 edition of Red Table Talk.
“I adore men and women equally, so one male and one lady would be ideal,” she remarked.
She has recently spoken out about her preference for polyamorous relationships over monogamy.
Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
âIâm not the kind of person that is constantly looking for new sexual experiences,â the 21-year-old shared.
She added, âI focus a lot on the emotional connection and I feel like if I were to find two people of different genders that I really connected with and we had a romantic and sexual connection, I donât feel like I would feel the need to try to go find more.â
Lil Nas X
On the last day of Pride month of 2019, rapper Lil Nas XÂ came out.
Lil Nas X revealed in a new interview with CBS that he chose to come out while the world was watching because of ‘Old Town Road’ because it âwouldâve been the most authentic timeâ.
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
The 23-year-old stated that he didn’t come out about his sexuality for attention.
âItâs like, Iâm not doing it for attention,â he said. âIâm already like the number one artist in the world right now.â
Big Freedia
As one of the prominent LGBTQ+ star, Big Freedia has always been proudly repping for the community!
In an interview with The Billboard, the “Queen of Bounce” shared that she is well aware that she is a powerful and outspoken advocate for LGBTQ people worldwide. And she has no plans of changing her ways of being an advocate for the community.
“I never tone nothing down.”
Source: JC Olivera / Getty
In 2013, Big Freedia shared that she believed that the way that the world views the LGBTQ+ community has been changing, especially when it comes to same-sex marriage.
“I definitely think that the world is changing at how gay people are looked at. Especially with gay marriage, and how all the different rappers approve of gay marriage,” she said.
Mikki Blanco
Rapper Mykki Blanco is no stranger to the LGBTQ+ community!
Since the beginning of their career, the non-binary rapper has not only became one of the pioneers for the subgenre “queer rap”, Blanco always used their platform to discuss the topics of the LGBTQ+ community, racism, and sexual health issues.
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty
They revealed on Facebook in 2015 that they had been living with HIV since 2011, making them one of the first rappers to do so since N.W.A. member Eazy-E. “F— stigma and hiding in the dark, this is my real life⌠itâs time to actually be as punk as I say I am,â they wrote.
Not ashamed of who they are, Mykki Blanco’s music allows others to unapologetically be themselves.
DreamDoll
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
You might know her back when she was Tabitha on the infamous Bad Girls Club, but the world is loving her transformation into DreamDoll!
Last year, the rapper came out as bisexual in a stunning, vibrant Pride month Instagram post, writing, “Happy Pride month. I’m proud to announce that I’m bisexual.”
Frank Ocean
Source: FilmMagic / Getty
Frank Ocean doesn’t perform very often, but when he does, he usually surprises us with a great appearance or some scorching new music!
Right before his debut album, Channel Orange’s release, when he famously issued an open letter disclosing his sexual orientation.
Ice Spice
Source: Sean Zanni / Getty
Last on our list is Bronx princess, Ice Spice!
In 2021, Ice Spice wanted to confirm personal questions when she tweeted “Whatâs it called when youâre attracted to masculinity in women and femininity in men.â
The viral rapper didn’t only her fans know, but she let the whole world know that “weâre here and weâre queerâ during her Genius interview.
Happy Pride!
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