10/07/2008
Queen Latifah on Her Sexuality: Assume Whatever you Want
Missed this Alex Witchel profile of Queen Latifah (who was brilliant as Gwen Ifill in last weekend's Biden-Palin SNL debate skit) in the NYT.
Writes Witchel: "One topic of persistent speculation on the Web is Queen Latifah’s sexuality, particularly a supposed romance with a female trainer. She has never addressed her relationships publicly and was in no mood to start."
Says Latifah: "I don’t have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life. You don’t get that part of me. Sorry. We’re not discussing it in our meetings, we’re not discussing it at Cover Girl. They don’t get it, he doesn’t get it (she gestured upstairs, toward [her manager and childhood friend Shakim] Compere’s office) — nobody gets that. I don’t feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don’t care if people think I’m gay or not. Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway."
Her Highness Still Rules [nyt]
Posted 10:03 AM EST by Andy Towle in I'm Gay, I'm Not Gay, News, Queen Latifah | Permalink
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Please, people, you all are crazy bitches.
Just because Dana doesn't want her life public, doesn't mean she hates herself or wants to hide who she is. It just means she doesn't want to talk about it and have the entire world know. I think she isn't exactly just standing there doing nothing, and she isn't being negative or calling GLBTs names. If she can contribute to our cause without having to have her personal life in the front pages, then I have more respect for her.
What has Lance Bass done for us lately? Sure, he's on some reality TV show. He can't even keep a boyfriend longer than several months.
In some cases, like Matthew Mitcham, it's a positive role model. He has discipline (being a trampolinist before a diver), in a long-term commitment, and has yet to cash in on his "fame".
Not everyone wears their sexuality on their sleeves, though.
Posted by: Brendan | Oct 7, 2008 12:59:34 PM
ALL HETEROSEXUALS WEAR THEIR SEXUALITY ON THEIR SLEEVE!!!!!!!
AND THEY SHOVE IT DOWN OUR THROATS!!!!!
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 7, 2008 1:07:50 PM
David,
Didn't I already just once today say to you to take a pill, get a massage, or get laid. Such anger is not healthy.
Posted by: Las Vegas | Oct 7, 2008 1:48:21 PM
ok, she's gay. so simple.
when people here talk about "the gay community" why do i get a sense that it's always 'over there' as opposed to 'us?' some of you can't even stand to be part of it. why?
Posted by: james | Oct 7, 2008 2:00:16 PM
I think it was the late 80s when The Queen (the real one) performed at the after-party of the SF AIDS Walk. This was a daring move for a young African American performer. And she did it with class and style. Read the NYT article and you'll see that she's the real deal.
Posted by: David R. | Oct 7, 2008 2:51:08 PM
She's neither hero nor villain, but not particularly brave either. A gay ghost of sorts.
Posted by: anon | Oct 7, 2008 3:06:20 PM
She doesn't need to come out and say it because her non-answer sounds like the defensive, angry lesbian that she is.
And for the rest of you self-loathing closet cases, just because some says they're gay doesn't mean they are inviting intrusion into their "personal life" unless they feel ashamed that anyone knows a thing about they're personal life. And she's wearing a lot of shame, plus she's probably worried her career will take a hit. Coward.
Posted by: B-rod | Oct 7, 2008 3:14:54 PM
Y'know, she is still going to live her life the best way she can for herself despite anyone's opinions, one way or the other. The bottom line here is perception based on your own experiences. I myself am comfortable in my own skin, "out and proud" if you prefer. Dana (Queen Latifah) isn't hurting anyone with her choice to keep her private life out of her professional one. Her sexuality in no way informs her work life...if yours does, good for you. It's enough that she has such visibility in her work to begin with. Why is it so detrimental to some of you that cameras be her personal life too?
She's never once expressed a negative anything towards the queer community...so why are you doing yourselves and her the disservice of being the opposite?
Lighten up good people, and recognize when to pick and choose your battles.
Posted by: Sean | Oct 7, 2008 4:37:12 PM
David Ehrenstein is completely, totally, 100% correct.
Seriously, people - if she were straight, would she give such a convoluted answer?
C'mon now - of course not!!
When's the last time you heard a straight person asked that question (Are you gay?) and give a paragraph for an answer?
I'll tell you - NEVER!!!
And yes, heterosexuals DO wear their sexuality on their sleeves everyday.
And we ALL have to deal with it.
In magazines, newspapers, websites, TV shows, movies, radio programs, books, and music. And more. Each and every day.
Thankfully, the tide IS turning.
But not thanks to "friends" and "allies" like QL.
Posted by: steve | Oct 7, 2008 5:04:41 PM
Sadly SEAN while I agree it is her business and we should pick our battles, the biggest one being getting Obama in the White House, her not saying she is gay is just enforcing the stereotype that gay is bad.
Like it or not, she is a public figure, something she chose. Being gay is not something she chose, just something she is choosing not to own.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Oct 7, 2008 5:07:05 PM
Call me odd, but I really respect her boundaries regarding her personal life. It truly makes me admire her more--the focus is solely on the talent which, as an ENTERTAINER, is the gift she's sharing with the world. Why can't that be enough? Frankly I'm sooo tired of the whole tabloid/sensationalistic life sharing of the majority of attention-seeking "celebrities" around today. An author isn't call upon to lay bare all aspects of his or her life, why should a singer/actor be expected to? Because of the all-too-common cases who have no sense of separation in their lives, and the ever-invasive media, have conditioned society to belive it's OWED. Bullshit. Her boundaries are clear, I haven't seen her deviate from them thru her career, the emphasis publicly has always been on entertaining. Go Queen!
Posted by: Jim | Oct 7, 2008 8:47:03 PM
Queen Latifah has never been anything but gay-friendly, so it boggles my mind how she can garner so much hate, pity and judgement from gay folk.
What If she is gay (and do we really know?)? Big deal- she doesn't want to talk about it. She doesn't owe the public, gay or straight, anything. its her right to come out if and when she's ready and to keep needling her about it is really tacky . Men and women all over the country live their lives in the closet and when they decide to come out, we welcome them. But when its someone famous, then suddenly they're obligated to come out and represent us, wave the rainbow flag and be our role models. Well why don't WE REPRESENT US? Why don't we be the visible role models that we seem to need so badly? Maybe we can be role models to her. Because its fairly clear to see that trying to shame the Queen is not going to work.
Posted by: Manny | Oct 7, 2008 9:51:30 PM
don't give interviews if you don't want to answer questions, and we'd all be fine.
Posted by: squash | Oct 7, 2008 11:39:41 PM
If she's not a dyke, she's surely doing an amazing impersonation of one, lol...for the love of God, come out already!!
Posted by: Marconi | Jan 26, 2009 6:00:43 PM