I have a question. I was going to use Queen Latifah as the subject of this but that'd be too easy. So instead I've decided to use Beyoncé. First, I have to state I'm NOT a Beyoncé fan. I think she's a vapid woman. But her popularity makes her perfect for this.
I want to know what you think would happen if Beyoncé held a press conference and announced to the world that she was a lesbian. And that her marriage to Jay z was a sham concocted by her parents and PR people. And that she was in love, planned to divorce Jay and marry her girlfriend.
What do you think would be the fallout?
Would her career crash and burn? Would she become a pariah? Would Black preachers attack her from the pulpit? Would gossip and entertainment sites and bloggers attack her? Would she lose all of her product endorsements? Would she end-up broke and destitute?
Or
Would the public and others accept her and her marriage? Would she change the attitudes of preachers around the country? Would people become more accepting of gayness? Would she become an even bigger star? Would she gain even more product endorsements? Would she become even more rich? Would she and her wife live happily-ever-after?
There has never been an A-list Black celebrity who has been openly gay. Recently a few Black women celebs have used possibly being gay as a way to get attention. But they tend to backtrack once they get the attention they're looking for.
So, what do you think would happen if Beyoncé announced she was a lesbian?
16 comments:
In this day and age of intolerance of people of color the recording and other media outlets would drop her like a hot potato.
If she came out as a lesbian... I think she'd loose a few thousand followers.... become the subject of media, churches, beauty shops all around... but she's Beyonce and I think the core group of her followers would still be there... and she'd continue to sell millions of records... I think but of course you just never know
After the fallout, after all the talk and gossip about her being a hypocrite, I think her career would not only survive but THRIVE in the wake of it. Sure, she MIGHT lose some fans, but she'd probably gain a whole new genre of fans. Dating back to the days of Garbo, Dietrich, Josephine Baker, right up to Madonna, a touch of lesbianism seems to add a bit of intrigue/mystery/allure to a woman's persona, and makes them appear more interesting. Whereas the opposite is true with men. Odd that.
BTW: It almost appeared that Latifah was flirting w/ the idea of coming out on the BET AWARDS, when dressed as Cleo (from Set It Off), and introducing Diddy, she spoke of the things they had in common, including liking to be in the company 'fine women'. She had this look that suggested she was winking at the irony. It seemed both SHE and the audience were IN on the joke. Me? I could only chuckle... as many others must've as well.
One.
@Lin
Yeah I heard about Latifah being Cleo. I think she probably enjoyed teasing people with that persona.
@?
Yeah Latifah is still popular but if she had not crossed over I think the lesbian rumors might have killed her career by now.
If she were to come out and proclaim that she was lesbian I think it would damage her career, obviously. Not as much as one would probably believe, but she would be no where near the Beyonce she is today.
I actually believe Jada Pinkett lives two lives. When I lived in Atlanta there were rumors, one even confirmed, that Jada Pinkett was a lesbian. Not too mention Jasmine Guy.
@Don
I think it would hurt her career too. I think she's too mainstream to pull off being a lesbian. I don't think it would hurt Rihanna at all.
Yeah, I keep hearing stuff about Jada. Jasmine Guy? She was married until recently. Not that that means anything but I've never heard anything about her.
Oh okay, I've seen that pic. I think it was a promo for her last album that came out in 2000 or something. I thought you had a saucy pic of Alicia for me. Lol
Btw, I checked out Dream's Twitter. Why is her name familiar?
@Don
Oops, I accidentally deleted your second comment. I was trying to delete mine to write it over. :-)
Interesting topic! Indeed she would lose some fans, but more than that, what would her family say/do? Afterall, she is from conservative Texas! The gay boys who already love her will make up for the fans she does lose. As for Latifah, whilst understand while she keeps it on the low-low, it would be nice to have her "come out" and represent for the sistahs the way Portia D. (Ellen D's wife) did for white women. Re: Jada, I heard she and Will are swingers.
Oops, excuse my typos--I'm on my Blackberry!
Oh. The Jasmine Guy deal was revealed during a '95 letter that Tupac Shakur wrote from jail. He expressed how she wanted a relationship with him but that she also liked women, his exact words. He wrote the letter as part of a series of exchanges w/ some woman he was courting/courting him.
Rihanna could definitely pull it off. Hahahaha. I read somewhere that her ticket sales are suffering and concert dates are being cancelled left and right.
If and when I come across a saucy Alicia pic, I guarantee you will be the first to know. My word.
Dream Hampton is an author/ hip hop writer who used to write so many features of Notorius B.I.G. she writes in all lowercase letters - her claim to fame.
Jada, a lesbian? Now you're ruining my adolescent fantasies!
@Don
Lol, Tupac really did get around.
Yeah I heard something about Rihanna having a hard time selling tks too. She'll be here soon.
Lol, Okay on the AK pic. :-) I think I'm coming around.
I'm gonna have to check Dream out.
@Felicia Monique
I really can't figure why Latifah hasn't come out. It would be different if there hadn't been rumors for the last 10 or 15 years. But everyone already assumes she is. Her PR people must be against it.
Yeah, I think a lesbian Beyonce would def acquire a new fan base. You're right about her family too. I didn't think about that.
@?
Oops. :-)
Jasmine and her sister once attended school in my hometown for a few years, but I'd never any heard the talk of her sexuality. However people with dance backgrounds never surprise me any more, because apparently sexuality is pretty... ummm... fluid in the dance world.
Recently, I accidentally happened upon one of those Who's Dated Who' sites, and the women that Debbie Allen ALLEGEDLY bedded, reads like a who's who (and who's DAT?) of black/brown Hollywood starlets from Jasmine, Jada, Latifah, Paula, etc. It almost suggested that to MAKE it in the biz, you had to DO Debbie. WTF? And I'm like wow! Did NORM know???
Not saying any of that is true, but it did make me wonder.
One.
@Lin
Lol, wow Debbie gets around too. If that's all true. It's hard to know what's true and what isn't these days. Especially when it comes to people being gay. So many sites constantly say stars are gay. You'd think every Black celeb is gay if you go by some of these gossip sites.
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