Queen Latifah, long-rumored to be a lesbian, did not just come out of the closet, and it’s irresponsible to say she did. Queen Latifah will be headlining the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival later this month — just as other famous (and straight) celebrities have headlined and performed at gay pride festivals and parades in years past.
Whitney Houston reportedly performed in 1999 at New York City’s gay pride festival. Jennifer Lopez performed at the 2006 New York City Pride Pier Dance. Kylie Minogue closed Madrid’s 2010 gay pride celebrations. Last year, Katy Perry marched in New York City’s gay pride parade. To add Queen Latifah’s name to this list is disingenuous and disrespectful, to her, to her fans, and to people who struggle to come out every day.
Reports that state that Queen Latifah has come out should take a moment to examine their journalistic standards and remind themselves that coming out is a personal choice, and unless there is a career component to it (read: possibly closeted gay journalists and their ability to credibly cover some LGBT-related stories, for example,) it’s unfair to pressure someone to come out or to say someone has come out when they have not.
Bil Browning at Bilerico notes:
While Sandra Rose seems a bit breathless with the title “Queen Latifah Comes Out of the Closet (Finally),” I’m not so sure that it’s entirely accurate.
That said, last year Queen Latifah was the subject of similar stories and similar media attention, after she said in an interview:
 …I just like ladies who have class. Period. And if it’s “T and A†you’re sellin’, that’s fine, as long as that’s what you’re selling. But you don’t have to show everything, you know? You can hold some back and just be yourself and let your personality shine and let your individuality show. To me, that’s sexier. A confident woman is a sexy woman, in my opinion. And I think guys find that to be the same way.
A press release from the upcoming Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival states:
From hip to R&B, pop to standards, Queen Latifah is the voice of our generation, and her concert here will be phenomenal, for her to make her worldwide Pride debut here in Long Beach is a tremendous testament to the popularity of our celebration and to the strength of our community.
Chris Spargo at Logo responsibly states:
It could mean nothing or it could mean Miss Latifah will have have a big announcement next weekend. Stay tuned.