Oakland-born R&B Singer Kehlani always seemed to have every gender turning their head to thirst over her. On April 4th, the singer took it to Instagram Live to confirm her sexuality to her fans. Kehlani told the viewers of her Instagram Live that she was coming out as a lesbian.
“Wanna know what’s new about me?” the singer asked in an Instagram Live video alongside photographer Jamie-Lee B. “I finally know I’m a lesbian.”
kehlani is a lesbianpic.twitter.com/kQCpTu9KgL
— best sapphics in the world (@bestsapphics) April 6, 2021
Over the years Kehlani has identified as queer. She also is one out of the many celebrities who are very vocal about things within the LGBTQ community. Especially given that the singer uses the pronouns of she/her and them/they. In her most recent interview with Advocate, she discusses her sexuality and experience as a queer artist in the music industry. She also pointed out her privileges as a “straight-passing” present celebrity, which many people would assume that she’s straight due to her past relationship with rapper YG and NBA Player Kyrie Irving.
“I have a lot of privilege [as a ] cisgender-presenting, straight-presenting,” she told the outlet. “I think a lot of artists who we talk about and say, ‘Oh, they had to come out or they had to do this,’ a lot of them can’t hide it. A lot of it is very [much] in how they present. It’s tougher for them. It’s tougher for trans artists. It’s tougher for Black gay men. It’s tougher for Black masculine gay women.”
She goes on to explain her privilege while addressing queer artists that came before her. Which many of them were denied opportunities due to social biases, transphobia, and homophobia.
When asked about her future as she steps into finally coming out as a lesbian, Kehlani was nothing but optimistic. As she explained that she sees society becoming much more inclusive and accepting. Which could ultimately allow LGBTQ artists to express themselves more openly and freely. The singer also thanked her fans and loved ones for helping her navigate teachable moments.
“I’m really appreciative of the people who take time to do that,” she said. “… All the beautiful Black trans women that I have in my life that I’m able to just witness — not only living their true fucking power — but [to] be courageous and be fearless and then fiercely educate everybody around them and just be a force in this world! They do it so effortlessly that it comes off almost easy to people who don’t know them. I have so many super badass, bad bitch, trans women friends that I’m just like, ‘I bet people think this shit is a walk in the fucking park because of how you get up and get out the house every day and be this badass bitch.’ But I know it’s fucking hard.”
As stars like Kehlani, Lil Nas X, and many more start being comfortable with their sexuality in the music industry, it seems to help other artists and people in the world be comfortable with their sexuality also. More openly artists who are a part of the LGBTQ community could cause a huge shift in the music industry.
