Queen Latifah comes out at Gay Pride Parade
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Queen Latifah comes out at Gay Pride Parade

Long Beach : CA : USA | May 28, 2012 at 6:22 AM PDT
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Queen Latifah Set To Headline Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival

It looks like Obama’s open support for gay marriages has eased out things for the LGBT community to a great extent. Among many others, Queen Latifah, real name Dana Owens, has also declared her self a lesbian.

After years of speculation about the singer, actress and songwriter, Queen Latifah’s sexual orientation, she has finally stepped out of the closet declaring gays as “her people” at the Gay Pride Parade held on Saturday.

Earlier this month, when Owens signed to speak on the Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival in Long Beach California, it was not certain whether she will merely support their rights or actually come out to reveal her own orientation. But on Saturday, as she addressed the attendees, the African American singtress made her pride known.

“Y’all my peeps (people),” she said, referring to the LGBT community. “I love you!” Queen performed for more than an hour, rocking the festival with her hits like “U.N.I.T.Y” and “Ladies First.” From the moment Queen told the crowd that she “has been waiting to do this for a long time”, it was clear that the event would be no ordinary. She later on added that she was “proud to be among her people”.

The 42 year old, Latifah thanked the crowd for their support and advised them to keep safe. Thank you to all my favorite peep guests who came out to support me. I appreciate it. I love you so much. Hope you had a beautiful time,” she said. “Y’all be safe whatever y’all get into tonight. Boys –- strap it up. Ladies –- strap it up.”

Her musical appearance at the festival was a proof about Latifah’s desire to not just be honest with her fans but to stand up and let people know who she really is. The kind of courage she displayed during her Saturday’s performance, has gained her an even deeper respect and appreciation form her supporters.

Latifah was long rumored to be in a relationship with a Hollywood Choreographer, Jeanette Jenkins. The two parted way in 2011.

Co president of the Gay Pride Parade, Pat Crosby also showed his excitement about Latifah’s performance saying that the worldwide debut of her “Pride” at the Long Beach “is a tremendous testament to the popularity of our celebration and to the strength of our community.”

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File photo of a gay marriage supporter with a sign at the 41st LGBT Pride parade in San Francisco
File photo of a gay marriage supporter with a sign at the 41st LGBT Pride parade in San Francisco
wendyzachary is based in Texas, Texas, United States of America, and is a Reporter for Allvoices.
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READ MORE: Queen Latifah, Gay Pride Parade, Queen Latifah, Gay, Lesbian, beach lesbian and gay festival, long beach, Jeanette Jenkins, pat crosby, Latifah
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Post a Comment Comments: 19
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Posted By ahol888 Adrian Holman | 12 months ago
Now, we really know what she was rapping about when she was talking about 'Ladies First.'
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Posted By LuisLerebours LuisLerebours | 12 months ago
So now she'll have a spike in her career.....then everybody will forget about her again..a la Ricky Martin....
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
^^^Actually I think she waited this long so as not to have her career trashed. [She worked within a very different audience to Ricky Martin!]

She was successful with her music late 80's all through the 90's then has had some leading roles in movies. If she had of came out during her music career her peers would have totally rejected her, given the genre.

She has been successful enough now to where she is ready to finally take the risk. It is a shame it didn't happen sooner but it's obvious why. I don't see this as a career jump start at all, or a publicity stunt, I see it as years of being afraid to let people know. I'm glad she finally feels she can be herself.
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Posted By Bea_Shaylee_Sayers Bea_Shaylee_Sayers | 12 months ago
In my opinion, addressing the crowd "Y'all my peeps" or "My favorite peeps" doesn't mean anything. And I hope that soon enough the word "coming out" won't be necessary, that we're reaching the point were 'gays' won't have to come out, the same way 'straight' don't have to.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Bea_Shaylee_Sayers, I hope so too.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Bea_Shaylee_Sayers, I hope so too.
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Reply By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
Saying ya'll my peeps does not mean she outed herself as a lesbian. I am waiting for the day when people stop labeling themselves with sexual orientation. Just like straight people don't go around identifying themselves by what they like in the bedroom, why do others? Isn't that just a small part of who we are? I believe all human beings deserve to be treated fairly and well but not BECAUSE they like a certain some thing or someone behind closed doors. People can be themselves without having to announce it or share their every private thought with the world. The ease of information distribution has made us intrusive. We want to know every and anything about a person when most of it is really none of our business.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
^^Straight people don't have to out themselves as everyone is just assumed to be straight in the first place!

If someone assumes someone has a partner of the opposite sex and the person in the same sex relationship corrects them - they've just outed themselves, whether they wanted to or not! It's a lot more complex than just what goes on in the bedroom.
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Posted By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
The point I'm making is that our sexuality is a very small part of the myriad of characteristics and qualities that make us who we are -- I don't think anyone can disagree with that.

If someone tells me that they are gay or bisexual when I am first meeting them (and I don't know them at all or very little about them) my initial reaction is why? I could care less. What I care about is if they are a good person. The only difference between a straight person and a gay person in the grand scheme of things is who they are sexual attracted to. If I'm not trying to sleep with them, why do I care?
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Of course! I think it would be pretty rare that anyone instantly announces they are gay or straight etc, upon meeting for the first time.
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Posted By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
It's not rare at all. People do this all the time. On television, in person -- they make it a talking point. Well, you know I'm gay (in my mind I'm thinking, soooooo - why is he/she telling me this?)

What comes to mind as an example, a t.v. star revealed she was bisexual, but in the very next breath said it shouldn't matter. Well, if it shouldn't matter, why did you tell us?
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Well on tv maybe the subject is something that relates to it.

I mean with Latifah for instance, she is just finally getting it over and done with [if that's what she has done]. You know so she can finally be seen with a woman without all the bullshit speculation.

In person it really depends on what was being talked about I guess. I have never ever had someone meet me for the first time and say, hi - I'm gay / straight - whatever. I imagine for this to happen something must come up to initiate it. But whatever, it's not a big deal.
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Posted By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
The speculation is not Queen Latifah's problem, it's everyone else's problem who is so concerned with who she is attracted to sexually. It's none of their business.

It's not a big deal, exactly. So much so that I could careless to know, whether celebrity, co-worker or casual acquaintance.

I've seen people insert this info into a conversation for what seems like nothing less than a need for public stamp of approval. Imagine someone saying in a conversation, "Sexually giving oral is my thing -- there's no casual conversation (that's not amongst friends) that I can think of where that's appropriate.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Well constant speculation has to be hard on anybody even worse when it is the media doing it on large scale, so it would be her problem in the way that it would be really irritating.

As for telling anyone your sexuality - I don't know how better to explain it. One reason I can think of for just announcing your gay when you first meet someone, would be because if you are going to be having to spend a fair bit of time around that person. You might then announce you are gay right at the beginning to save those horribly awkward moments later on when you either show up to an event with your same sex partner or what ever similar. You know because being gay isn't just about sex!! It involves who your partner is and if you are proud of your partner then they are a big part of your life. That is all.
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Posted By fifileigh fifileigh | 12 months ago
no wonder i have never seen her on any publicity stunts with a man. i wonder if she ever had beards, like tom cruise.
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Posted By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
Queen Latifah: "“That definitely wasn’t the case. I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”

http://hellobeautiful.com/2522283/queen-latifah-denies-coming-out-at-gay-pride-event/

Guess she's not irritated at all by the speculation. Kudos to Queen Latifah for maintaining her private space. Looks like she doesn't need the world to approve of her relationships.
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Posted By beeniemac beeniemac | 12 months ago
Latifah won’t answer questions about her sexuality, but she denounces that she came out the closet to Entertainment Weekly:

Queen Latifah: "“That definitely wasn’t the case. I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”

http://hellobeautiful.com/2522283/queen-latifah-denies-coming-out-at-gay-pride-event/

Guess she's not irritated at all by the speculation. Kudos to Queen Latifah for maintaining her private space. Looks like she doesn't need the world to approve of her relationships.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Aside from the perhaps she could get irritated about the speculation, the points I was making were not about her and are still valid.

Yes, good for her either way - if she is gay and she wants to come out and say she has a female partner, good on her...If she is straight, good on her. I don't give a shit either way.

If she is gay though then I hope in her private life [and that doesn't just mean in the bedroom] that she can be proud of who ever she is in a relationship and not hide it. Yes it doesn't matter what the rest of the world know.
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Posted By A0110 A0110 | 12 months ago
Aside from the perhaps she could get irritated about the speculation, the points I was making were not about her and are still valid.

Yes, good for her either way - if she is gay and she wants to come out and say she has a female partner, good on her...If she is straight, good on her. I don't give a shit either way.

If she is gay though then I hope in her private life [and that doesn't just mean in the bedroom] that she can be proud of who ever she is in a relationship and not hide it. Yes it doesn't matter what the rest of the world knows.
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