Queen Latifah: I did not come out at Pride Festival
AP photo
Queen Latifah was the featured performer at a recent gay pride event, but there’s no reason to infer more than her support of the organization, the entertainer says.
“I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public,” the artist told EW. “It’s just not gonna happen.”
Latifah was just in Atlanta working on the Lifetime remake of “Steel Magnolias,” directed by Kenny Leon and also starring Phylicia Rashad among others. Latifah and Rashad also worked together on the 2010 romantic comedy “Just Wright,” in which the Queen played the love interest of rapper and actor Common.
“I’ve had women ask me, ‘Would you really date a woman like Queen Latifah?,” Common told the AJC during a 2010 interview when the movie came out. “I’m like, ‘Yeah. She’s a beautiful woman.’”
Latifah has other artistic ties here, serving as executive producer of the VH1 show “Single Ladies,” which is filmed here. Last year, she and Dolly Parton were here filming the movie “Joyful Noise,” about a pair of women who team up to lead a small-town church choir to greatness at a national gospel competition.
Latifah was the headliner at the 29th annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride event, held May 19. Her appearance was heralded in a statement from festival organizers that read in part, “This will be Queen Latifah’s first-ever engagement at a Pride celebration anywhere in the world.”
- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com
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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
50 comments Add your comment
Grant Parker
June 4th, 2012
3:50 pm
Latifah and I share this much in common: I did not come out at the Pride Festival, either.
Shanw
June 4th, 2012
4:51 pm
There is no need for her to come out. It’s her life. Everybody doesn’t have to come out, it doesn’t make you less gay. I am sure she’s doing great work behind the scenes.
Taboo
June 4th, 2012
5:00 pm
Queen! You’re beautiful just the way you are! You us (your fans and public) NO explanation in reference to YOUR PERSONAL LIFE!! Just keep producing great works and representing Beautiful Black Women – WELL!! Kudos Queen!!
HoneyB
June 4th, 2012
5:03 pm
I care about her orientation as much as I care about what food she likes. Heck, if she likes to eat rabbit, chicken, or beaver, what the big deal? She’s an artist and her art is to be appreciated, not her personal preferences in food, mates, or heck – favorites beers.
HoneyB
June 4th, 2012
5:05 pm
Speaking of beers, I don’t always drink them but when I do…. lol!
Len Griffin
June 4th, 2012
5:05 pm
Ten years ago this would have been a big deal, you know, finding out which side of the car a person rides in, but now…..who cares?
Mustache Saddle
June 4th, 2012
5:11 pm
I can tell you from experience she has some interest in dudes.
Sluggo
June 4th, 2012
5:12 pm
It’s her choice to keep her private life to herself. However, if Latifah is Gay and wanted to be out, it’s not a big deal. Witness Ellen Degeneres, she is more popular now than ever before.
Ivan Cohen
June 4th, 2012
5:25 pm
Another example of one of the things that Americans obsessed too much over.
Cookie Monster
June 4th, 2012
5:32 pm
It’s ok. We’ve known for years, and we still love you. Just make sure you are true to yourself.
NYC
June 4th, 2012
5:51 pm
I enjoy the work Latifa does….her sexual prefrence is of no concern to me.
George
June 4th, 2012
6:06 pm
For one thing she is not Ellen ,Everyone one knows tat she is so no bigg deal she has plenty of money. She is Free to do what ever she want.
Calvin G. Sims, Sr.
June 4th, 2012
6:09 pm
Two lesbians walk into a bar. One looked at the other and said, “Who cares!”
Go Falcons
Rick James
June 4th, 2012
6:44 pm
It amazes me how much time is spent worrying about who celebs are sleeping with…
DonkeyPunchKing
June 4th, 2012
6:57 pm
Any man or woman would be lucky to have her!!!!!!!
Be free
June 4th, 2012
7:14 pm
Leave her alone and live your own life people!! She doesn’t need to come out to anyone.
idabwells
June 4th, 2012
7:16 pm
Queen Latifha
I am so hurt that you became trapped into this web of the filth of America. Common sense will tell you that you are a woman, you have women breast, butt, a period and everything else that says you are a woman. America allows everything to go- look at the Catholic Church. They have been sexually assaulting lil boys for hundreds of years. Did America do anything about- NO!! Why? Because America is a bed of all unclean sex and violence. It is amazing to see how many people allow homosexuals to marry, have kids and adopt poor innocent children. The unnatural lifestyle rubs off on these precious innocent kids. But there is no real argrument againt this abnormal behavior. Homosexual is a mental disorder and can be treated with the right kind of medicine. Homosexuals suffers with what is real and what is un real. They can not identify the two. They also suffers with memory distortion- which means they are unable to remember if they are a woman or a man. Agood therapist and the right medicine will be able to get thme back on track. Hold on Queen- help is on the way. You are not a man- You are a woman. This is why you still call yourself Queen
JB
June 4th, 2012
7:18 pm
Queen has beern GAY – since “Set It Off”. She played the part tOOOOOO good! I love her.
Kat
June 4th, 2012
7:25 pm
@Sluggo: Yes, Ellen is now more popular than ever before, but she WAS NOT popular when she first came out. I always liked her, but she was dumped by many fans when she first admitted it.
Go Ellen!
Observer
June 4th, 2012
7:47 pm
idabwells
June 4th, 2012
7:16 pm
The unnatural lifestyle rubs off on these precious innocent kids. But there is no real argrument againt this abnormal behavior. Homosexual is a mental disorder and can be treated with the right kind of medicine.
It’s pretty clear who is abnormal and needs medicine for a mental disorder (hint: it’s not the homosexuals)…
RLM
June 4th, 2012
8:12 pm
I am disgusted by idabwell and their post. The Catholic Church does not support pedophilia.and has a smaller percentage of pediphiles than Protestant churches and schoolteachers. Why this has anything to do with Queen Latifah is beyond me this is just a bigot speaking. I do not care whether people are gay or straight. They are as god made them and god did not make any mistakes. Some people by their ignorance make mistakes of them selves. They are selfmade bigots and fools.
Yea for Some one like Queen who keeps her mough shut. More people should do this. I want to imagine celebrities as they appear. Queen appears and a classic warm caring person.
say what?
June 4th, 2012
8:15 pm
IdabDwells:
Would these be the same precious innocent kids procreated by heterosexuals? Best chance they would have to let nurture take over where nature ends- at the adoption office.
Live your life, God gave humans free will, do what YOU like.
wisconsinbravesfan
June 4th, 2012
8:50 pm
ok now really why do we care, you are who you are there is much more problem in the world that worry about who straight or who gay, if I was in an accident an a gay person comes to my rescue hell I would be thrill I don’t care people are people regardless rather you are gay or not black or white green or yellow,we need to focus our attention on finding ways to cures diseases, poverty, forecloses, homeless, just to name a few, no one is born gay, certain things happen alone the way, this my opinion agree or not let’s put our attention with less hate like getting our boys home from a land where people do really hate us gay or not …nuff said
Downtown Heffa
June 4th, 2012
8:58 pm
Queen,
I love you no matter what! But!!!! You played the heck out of that Cleo character in Set it Off!
My Two Cents
June 4th, 2012
9:36 pm
Ho-Hum. Just another way to distract readers from the real issues at hand in this country.
Calvin G. Sims, Sr.
June 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
A man and a woman walk into a bar. They see the two lesbians who came in earlier. They joined them at their table and all agreed, “Who the f@%& cares?”
Go Falcons, OK?
bamabelle2000
June 4th, 2012
10:52 pm
I think she needs to come out but I think she is afraid of losing her fan base if she does but hell it’s quite obvious she is and like people being saying to most of us it wouldn’t be a big deal.
M
June 4th, 2012
11:08 pm
Two things:
1. Queen Latifah being a lesbian is about as much of a surprise as a Kennedy woman having marital problems.
2. If she doesn’t want the subject to be broached here’s a suggestion: STOP headlining LGBT festivals and events!!!
Had enough
June 5th, 2012
12:33 am
If the queen doesn’t ,believe in Jesus Christ.Well then she will end up,in the same place as all who will die in their sins.If you are in this lifestyle that means you.Repent and turn to Jesus Christ while you still can.What would it profit you to stay in this lifestyle and gain the whole world,if it meant that you would die in your sins.And go to hell.
sparta_bubba
June 5th, 2012
6:09 am
Yes
big bill
June 5th, 2012
7:30 am
Raven Symone and Queen Latifah just need to come out of denial. If ya gay, ya gay! So what!
Randall Simmons
June 5th, 2012
7:45 am
She a gay
Chi Town
June 5th, 2012
8:16 am
Crumpy is soooooooooooooooooo frisky right now.
Sunny
June 5th, 2012
8:19 am
I love Queen Latifah and a few other celebrities should take a page from her book. Not every personal detail should be made public, they are humans, just like us and aren’t required to share every aspect of their lives with the general public. She is a beautiful person inside and out and that is what truly matters.
LMC
June 5th, 2012
8:33 am
Who she sleeps with is her business!!! If she doesn’t want to talk to discuss it, so what!!!!
GLAD
June 5th, 2012
8:43 am
We will do whatever it takes increase our numbers.
Libby
June 5th, 2012
9:11 am
idabwells: Just a note………When you are as ignorant as you are, it is best to keep your mouth SHUT!!! The world is full of hatred and bullying from people like you. If you went to church as you want us to believe, then you need to start LISTENING!!! Then you wouldn’t talk the way you do.
Kimi
June 5th, 2012
9:23 am
I’ve been a Queen Latifah fan since “Ladies First” Have loved watching her and her career evolve into what it is today. I’ll always be a fan, love ya Queen keep doing your thing.
Grape Eater
June 5th, 2012
9:47 am
I hope she’s open to dating white men – I’ve had a crush on her for years. There is something about her that is so sexy and sultry.
Really...
June 5th, 2012
10:40 am
“Queen has beern GAY – since “Set It Off”. ”
Wrong JB! Queen was gay BEFORE “Set it Off” and THAT helped her play the part so well…
dw
June 5th, 2012
10:59 am
I think that many in the GBTL community could learn from her example. Most people don’t know or care about your orientation until you flaunt it. Stop making an issue of it.
DWAAN
June 5th, 2012
11:00 am
Pass the biscuits, please. I’m hungry.
LaShrinkra
June 5th, 2012
11:04 am
Pardon me. Would you have any grey poupon?
Samantha
June 5th, 2012
11:10 am
I agree with you idabwells to a certain extent. Unfortunately medicine can’t cure homosexuality. It’s a demonic spirit. I really don’t care what she sleeps with. It’s between her and God. She will have to suffer the consequences for the choices she has made; just like all of us.
Sluggo
June 5th, 2012
11:25 am
“Unfortunately medicine can’t cure homosexuality. It’s a demonic spirit.”
At the risk of being somewhat abrupt, may I ask you the specifically name your source for this particular gem of information?
I’ve never thought of homosexuality as an illness.Moreover, I’ve never thought a Gay person needed an exorcism either. What does frighten me more is that you are out there in the world with this sadly twisted mindset.
Really...
June 5th, 2012
11:27 am
You ain’t so sluggo, Sluggo. You on point!!!!
Really...
June 5th, 2012
11:27 am
I forgot my
to you, Sluggo!
Spade
June 5th, 2012
2:13 pm
Let me clear up a few things because it seems that people are so confused, and need to know exactly which God they are serving.
1. Anytime someone makes statements like “Live your life, God gave humans free will, do what YOU like”, “do what feels good to you”, “do what you want to do”, etc. that is actually not the God of the bible. The phrase “do as thy wilt” translation “do what you want to do” is the number one law of satanism. Yes that’s right, satanism! It was written by a satanist who called himself the beast, Aleister Crowley. Look him up if you never heard of him.
2. God of the bible doesn’t want us to “do what we want to do.” which is why he gave us his living word and commandments to follow. He gave us free will to decide if we will serve the God not of this world or the god of this world which is Satan. When you do what you want to do, you are not doing God’s will. You are doing your own will which is the will of man. Christians do not be lead away from faith following after the will of man.
3. Homosexuality is mentioned 13 times in the bible, and unfortunately not one time is it referred to in a positive way. God calls it wicked and an abomination, but it is not the most unforgivable sin. ACTIVE homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. You can repent from your transgressions and be made new through Jesus Christ. Do it while there is still time.
Now, I don’t care who is sleeping with whom because they can’t help me get into the kingdom of heaven. However if you read blogs, then you would already know that Queen Latifah is homosexual. I don’t agree with her lifestyle but it is her business, and she has every right to stay in the closet in mainstream media if she wants.
PattyTrish
June 5th, 2012
7:56 pm
@IDABWELLS-
I’m sure you have some meds to take, so get off the computer and take them.
It’s not just the Catholic church that has child molesters. Not a religion on this earth that hasn’t had it’s share of pedophiles.
watchin from europe
June 7th, 2012
12:37 pm
I am being entertained again~
Time to pour another cocktail!