Black Celebrities Who Are LGBTQ and Proud [UPDATE]

Janelle Monae came out as pansexual in 2018 and also now goes by they/them pronouns. Monae has been transparent about their identity journey, often making it a topic in their music, being open to learning more about sexuality and what fits them best.

Cardi B has come out as bisexual several times in her career, most of them when having to correct people that believe that she queerbaits, using bisexuality as performance in her artistry.

Kehlani has never been a fan of exposing much of her personal life, but she confirmed in April 2021 that she identifies as a lesbian after years of saying she was bisexual. On her social media, she constantly talks about her journey to understanding her sexuality and how she presents herself to the world.

Da Brat took to Instagram in 2020 to confirm her relationship with her girlfriend, Jesseca Dupart, who got married in February 2022. In an interview with Variety, she explained that her privacy was always a priority when it came to her relationships throughout the years, especially as a woman in hip-hop, constantly having to cater to men in the industry.

Tevin Campbell came out in August 2022 after years of people questioning his sexuality. The “Can We Talk” singer decided to come out publicly later in life but hinted on social media several times about being gay. He explained that it wasn’t possible to be out in his early career due to the unaccepting industry and the social scene he was a part of in the 90s.

Don Lemon revealed that he is gay in his memoir, Transparent, released in 2011. Out of fear of how his identity would be received, the CNN anchor waited until later in life to publicly come out. He was engaged to his boyfriend, Tim Malone, in 2019.

Lil Nas X came out in June 2019 after his record-breaking song “Old Town Road”. In a tweet, he promoted his song “c7osure” which hints at his sexuality. He explained in interviews after the coming out that he was nervous about how his career would continue because he knew that some people would no longer support him after the revelation.

Wanda Sykes did not come out until she was 44 years old at a same-sex marriage equality rally in 2008. She gave an impromptu speech and also revealed that she was married to a woman, Alex Niedbalski. She knew that her family would not approve, so she waited to tell them at 40 years old. She has since been a vocal LGBT activist.

Karamo Brown was the first openly gay Black man cast on a reality show, being cast on The Real World in 2004. He came out at 16 years old. He also got his girlfriend pregnant before he was out but did not know he had a son until ten years later. He is involved with Black LGBT activism today, bringing attention and support to the community.

Niecy Nash prefers not to say she has “come out” but rather chooses to be proud and public with her love, no matter the gender of the person. She has been married twice to men, Don Nash and Jay Tucker and married her girlfriend in Jessica Betts.

Michael Sam was the first openly gay person to be drafted into the NFL in 2014. Due to mental health issues, he decided to leave the NFL after a short professional career, he never played in a season game. He was hired in 2022 as a coach for the European Football League.

Billy Porter came out as gay when he was 14 years old and used theater as a place to be accepted. He was the first openly Black gay man to win the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Pose. He played the character Pray Tell had AIDs and Porter revealed during the last season of the show that he was HIV positive.

Whitney Houston’s best friend, Robyn Crawford, wrote in her memoir, A Song For You: My Life With Whitney Houston, and in interviews that she had a romantic relationship with the “Run to You” singer. However, the relationship could not continue due to Houston’s rising career and the unacceptance of same-sex relationships in the 80s.