The Queen makes her first appearance at a Gay Rights Festival. Is this her coming out of the closet?
By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
There may have been whispers for years regarding the sexuality of one of the pioneers of the female Hip Hop game and most beloved black actresses for the last couple of decades; but Latifah never confirmed her sexual preference, despite pulling off the role of a lesbian bank robber in the cult classic Set It Off effortlessly.
Latifah is set to headline this year’s Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival on May 19. Though the Academy Award Nominee and Grammy Award winning actress and singer hasn’t followed up with any official statement, the organizers of the event have already expressed genuine excitement in a statement on the event’s official website:
“From hip 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,” says Long Beach Pride Co-President Pat Crosby.
Some argue that this doesn’t mean Latifah is indeed a lesbian, as even a heterosexual artist can support the festival, and many have performed for similar organizations in the past. However, the statement sure sounds like one that confirms what so many have known and suspected for years.
Perhaps it was the mystery of Queen Latifah’s sexuality that cemented her success in Hollywood, in addition to her pure talent. She may have never told us she preferred women over men, but over the years, we decided that we really didn’t care.
I’m happy for her! There wasn’t a soul on the planet that didn’t know this woman was gay. She just played that role in Set it Off too well. But her sexuality has little to do with her career and I’m glad she finally understood that.