Will Queen Latifah come out of the closet (officially) at a CA Gay Pride Festival?

It was established in the gossip press, the urban press and by one blasé candid photo shoot on a yacht in 2010, but some people still don’t believe that Queen Latifah is gay. She is. For real. She had a cute, personal trainer girlfriend for years, Jeanette Jenkins, but I’m not sure if Latifah and Jeanette are still together. Last September, The Enquirer reported that Latifah had broken off her eight-year relationship with Jeanette and started up with her jumpoff, a woman named Eboni Nichols. Eboni and Latifah were even photographed together at last year’s US Open. Eboni is the woman with the caramel-colored hair in the photos in this post. Jeanette is the one with a short Halle Berry ‘do.

So… yeah. Latifah is either bisexual with a history of long-term relationships with woman, or she just self-identifies as gay. She’s never given an interview confirming her sexuality (and she shouldn’t have to), and she’s never forced us to buy a “I’m so straight” PR campaign either (which I hope she would never do). Maybe Latifah is just tired of living in the glass closet, or maybe she just wants everyone to know that she’s cool with the gay community… because Latifah has been named the headliner of this year’s Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival. HUZZAH!

Queen Latifah is set to headline this year’s Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival. It will be her first engagement at a Pride celebration, Global Grind reports.

Long Beach Pride Co-President Pat Crosby released this statement in anticipation of her appearance: “From hip-hop to R&B, pop to standards, Queen Latifah is the voice of our generation, and her concert here will be phenomenal. For her to make her worldwide Pride debut here in Long Beach is a tremendous testament to the popularity of our celebration and to the strength of our community.”

People have been wondering out loud for years about whether the 42-year-old could be gay, but she’s never spoken publicly about her sexual orientation, as far as we know. Some are speculating that the festival might be the perfect time for her to come out of the closet. Perhaps. But it’s just as likely that the singer-actress will view it as the perfect time to do whatever she wants, decline to make a big announcement and encourage the rest of us to continue to mind our own business.

[From The Root]

If this is how Queen Latifah chooses to “come out,” God bless. I’m happy for her. I’ve always been happy for her. Personally, I don’t think Latifah felt like she had to hide her sexuality or anything, I think she just feels like it’s nobody’s business in general, but she’s not going to lie about it or anything. Yay for the Queen!

Archive photos courtesy of Bauer-Griffin, Pacific Coast News, additional photo by WENN.

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47 Responses to “Will Queen Latifah come out of the closet (officially) at a CA Gay Pride Festival?”

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  1. T.C. says:

    I like Queen Latifah’s approach. She doesn’t hide or feel they need to make a national announcement about her personal life. It’s her business. She isn’t hateful towards anyone and doesn’t have beards. I hate that gay/bisexual people have to be shamed into making public announcements about their sexuality.

    • Launicaangelina says:

      I totally agree with your statement. When I watch her movies, I don’t think about her sexual orientation. She’s played straight in several movies and a lesbian in Set It Off. I’ve loved her since the Living Single days.

  2. Ceeber says:

    I feel a little conflicted about this. I agree that she doesn’t need to be standing on top of a table during every interview announcing that she’s gay, but I think it would be a little weird if she was the headliner at the Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade and still refused to acknowledge that she’s a lesbian. It’s almost like saying “I support you guys coming out and dealing with all the backlash that that sometimes brings, but I’m not going to do it myself”. I think it sends slightly mixed messages….

    • curegirl0421 says:

      Chances are she’s out to those who matter to her, and doesn’t consider it necessary to make it public since I’m sure like us she’s seen the photos of her, and knows everyone has their opinions.

      Just like lots of the folks who will attend this festival (not all of whom will be gay). She’s living her life as she chooses, not hiding or pretending to be something she’s not, and that is absolutely something to admire.

  3. Gia says:

    Her gf is cute. I think she’s doing jus fine. No need to hold up a sign at the VMAs or anything…

  4. TruthTella says:

    I’m a gay guy (just turned 23) and this is exactly how I feel… I hate having to “come out” it’s so annoying. The only people I’ve told are some of my friends and and My mum and one of my brothers (when i was drunk) I don’t actually care if anyone finds out though it’s just like why should I have this big fuss over nothing? lol

    • janie says:

      Seriously. Making it such a big, dramatic moment reduces the normalcy of being gay. A friend recently came out and clearly was so nervous to tell me, and I was just like “okay, cool.” He’s the same person as before. I can’t wait until the day it isn’t a big deal to be with someone of the same sex.

  5. Love her personality, love her voice, love her as an actress. I do not give one smidgen of a damn what her personal sexual preference is. This is a smart lady who has managed to stay true to herself and classy in a nasty industry.

  6. lucy2 says:

    Whatever she decides to do, I hope it’s because she wants to, not from any outside pressure. I’d admire her approach so far, she’s just living her life.
    I have always really liked her – she has a great presence as an actress and makes even cheesy or bad films very enjoyable.

  7. Ms. Candy says:

    She been came out the closet- She was engage to get married to her woman but the engagement had broken off –
    Everyone knew when she did the filming “Set It Off” that is how she roll.

    Love her either way..

    JMO

  8. Angel says:

    I don’t think it’s an obligation of celebrities to “come out” just because it shows “support” to the gay community. Your sexuality is YOUR business. She’s not lying or hiding who she is… she’s simply chosen not to discuss or make it an issue. Kudos for her. You don’t see people walking into a room and being like “hey…hey…hey… I’m gay”. They just go about their business and if you know… you know, if you don’t…why do you need to?

    • WickedSteppMom says:

      Exactly! It’s not like straight people feel a need to announce it to everyone…well, unless they’re homophobic.

      • kerouacsdoughter says:

        im a girl and im bi im just sooo tired of answering a gazillion of questions every time ppl are finding out and i know they feel free to ask me anything because i keep it cool and they think ill be keen to answer all of them.it gets embarrassing sometimes too…

  9. spinner says:

    I love her. Could care less if she’s a Lesbian. None of my business & it doesn’t really matter. If more Gays & Lesbians conducted themselves in this manner, they’d be further down the road towards the equality they so rightly deserve. Set your example, Queen Latifa!!

  10. valleymiss says:

    I can see both sides of it. It’s definitely her business, but on the other hand, it’s always a good thing when someone who’s famous comes out because for the gay kid living in Podunk, Iowa who doesn’t personally know any gay people in his/her community, and therefore feels like he/she is the ONLY one, it’s nice to have reminders….reminders that gay people are here living, working, loving, and co-existing with straight people. I usually hate the idea of celebrities being role models (I feel strongly that parents and teachers should be the role models), but in this case, I think it’s ok. Not exactly as a role model, but just as a reminder…gay people exist! In every color, size, shape, etc!

    Btw, I’ve loved QL since Living Single too!

  11. Cher says:

    Love love love Queen Latifah. I hope the media would just let her be. If she wants to come out fine but if not then respect her choice.

  12. phlyfiremama says:

    Kudos to homosexual individuals everywhere! The battles they have to fight against the ignorance, religious persecution, bias, and prejudice they face on a daily basis can NOT in any way be easy. Seriously~live & let live. It’s difficult enough to find true lasting love in these times where relationships are more & more disposable~take it where you can get it.

  13. Stubbylove says:

    Love it – good for her.

  14. mel says:

    I love her…her movies…she is a cute actress and she doesn’t try hard.

  15. the original bellaluna says:

    I just watched Bringing Down the House again (it always makes me laugh), and she is so funny in it.

    I hope she just keeps doing her. Whatever she wants or so chooses, so be it. I feel like she’s above the “stunt queen come-out” move; she’s classy.

  16. truetalk says:

    I love the Queen!

  17. Agnes says:

    i love her. she’s amazing and classy. i wish her nothing but happiness, whatever she chooses to do.

  18. Nev says:

    As a gay man, I wish to propose we STOP using the term “coming-out” or “closet”….it all seems soooo shame-based.

    how about “opening up”?!!!

  19. InTheIndustry says:

    That’s my girl!

  20. Amanda G says:

    It’ll be a good day when it doesn’t matter if someone is gay or straight and when it doesn’t have to be a huge announcement.

  21. fabgrrl says:

    I wonder if she was “in the closet” (yeah, right!) because of Jeanette Jenkins? Perhaps Jeanette wanted to keep her orientation to herself? Therefore Queen Latifah could not be public about their relationship, or even about being a lesbian herself without exposing Jeanette. Now that they aren’t together, Queen Latifah can be *officially* out.

  22. Amy Nourkrin says:

    I couldn’t personally give 2 cents about her being gay.If she wants to come out,good for her,if she doesn’t want to,good for her.

  23. yoyo says:

    Queen Latifah is awesome, she’s a real triple threat and she’s got class and I LOVE the fact that she hasn’t made a press announcement about her sexuality. Why should she?! This Hollywood trend is sickening to me.

    I would love it if some celebrity would make a PR announcement to announce they are straight. Sounds ridiculous? It’s because it is!!

    Now if someone chooses to discuss their sexual orientation as some kind of PSA , “it gets better” thing for the kid in Podunk as someone said that’s fine. But to make a whole interview about that? A press announcement?! I find it reductive. People are not their sexuality. It is part of them but it is not them. Of course there are some sad sorts that define themselves or others by that and that is just sad.

    So I say enough with this kind of nonsense!

  24. bored says:

    Well I hope she actually formally comes out if she does this pride thing. That’s why we call it pride – because we are proud to be who we are. I can tolerate or sympathize someone choosing to be closeted but not if they are lending thier name to a pride celebration!

  25. bored says:

    You have no idea how heartening it is to the gay community when someone in the public eye finally ‘officially’ comes out. Awkward press release or not!

    • Lol says:

      Yup. I am getting a headache rolling my eyes laughing at some of these comments. Lol If EVERYONE was so tolerant of differing orientations then why does things like gay marriage etc get such opposition? No one is a racist and yet racism exists with a fury. Lol To the genuinely “live and let live” people I say thank you. To the full of shit lying bags of puss- y’all ain’t fooling no one.

  26. yoyo says:

    @bored

    Having a carnival celebrating your sexual orientation, though tons of fun, has always struck me as profoundly weird. Like should I be proud that I am right handed? Should I get a carnival going about it? Sounds ridiculous? yup it is.

    I always say you can’t have it both ways. Either you say being gay is natural, you are born gay and therefore what the hell is there to celebrate? Or you say it’s a lifestyle choice with lots of hardships due to rampant prejudice and then yeah be proud of your choice.

    I vote for the former. So I think being gay isn’t some claim to fame, you are just you. Do red heads have parades about “red pride”. Like, what the hell?!

    Now if you were to celebrate gay CULTURE I would understand a bit more. But for Pride to be reduced to “we are proud of who we are”? what is there to be proud of? People assume that if you are not ashamed you should be proud. No. You can just be, like any other person. Isn’t that the whole point?

    If the point is that everyone is equal then there should not be a celebration of a perceived difference.

    I repeat you can not be reduced to: your sexuality, your race, your religion, your gender etc… You can ascribe to a culture, but you are still just you. The whole of you, not just part of you. It’s like me identifying with my pinky instead of me as a whole. A pinky without the rest makes no sense.

    One might think this is just semantics but it isn’t. It is through such semantics that prejudice and wars are born and fueled. The word pride has lost it’s true meaning in american english, just like the word hero. It’s tossed about willy nilly in circumstances that most of the time don’t fit.

    • Emily says:

      I don’t know what the pride parades are like where you live, but in Melbourne, they’re made up of lots of groups marching together to show their support for the queer community. So yeah, it might seem a little weird for people to be talking about their pride, but for us gays, it’s heartwarming to see groups like the police, parents of gay kids and the Liberal Party (national conservative party) marching to show their support.

      Plus it’s a party where everyone gets drunk surrounded by a gazillion rainbows, what’s not to love?

    • blah says:

      Gay Pride marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when gays fought back against constant government initiated harassment and persecution:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

      It’s to remind the gay community of a monumental moment in history when they decided that they didn’t want to be in hiding anymore, and to be proud of who they were. I’m sorry but your examples of red heads and right handed people lacking a pride day aren’t analogous, seeing as they haven’t really been oppressed, moreover there isn’t’ a significant incident in time when they decided to fight back and claim their rights.

  27. Mauibound says:

    I hope the queen reads these great posts! So much love for her! I could care less her orientation, it’s her business. Love the queen!!!

  28. rosa5299 says:

    i don’t understand why people worry about the queen being gay or not. she is the most beautiful gay woman i know. she is number one and is on like popcorn. do your thang queen, you’ve the greatest!!!!

  29. rosa5299 says:

    i don’t understand why people worry about the queen being gay or not. she is the most beautiful gay woman i know. she is number one and is on like popcorn. do your thang queen, you’ve the greatest!!!!

  30. misstrishm says:

    I think this woman is awesome. She carries herself with so much confidence and she’s beautiful. I could careless if she’s gay or not
    I love her either way.

  31. MouseMouse says:

    I personally eagerly await the day that she comes out loudly and proudly, and here’s my reason.

    I believe that the more we’re exposed to people who are different from us, the more likely we are to come to understand that they’re really not all that much different from us.

    I was raised in a seriously white town in the middle of a seriously white region in the middle of a pretty white state. When I moved way, when I encountered more people of color, I grew to understand that while our backgrounds were different, and while that informed who we were, in the end, we were just people. And people are people.

    The more people that come out, the more likely others are to realize that they actually know gay people. And again, I believe that once you get to know people, the less likely you are to believe them “less” than you in any way.

    And as for the pride comments, no, I don’t imagine you would march proudly because you were right-handed. Then again, I’m relatively certain, no one ever implied in any way that you might go to hell because you were right-handed. So, forgive me for feeling like it’s in my best interest to express my pride in being a gay person. A gay person who was assaulted years ago — for having the nerve to go to a gay club and leave with my hand in my girlfriend’s hand. I might just deserve the opportunity to celebrate my pride. I’ve earned that I think.

  32. muppet_barbershop says:

    (Disclaimer: I have been out since 1989.) I can live with her not coming out, she is walking the walk so why should she have to? It’d be great icing on the cake though.