She's out and she's proud.
Janelle Monáe has finally confirmed rumours of her sexuality, revealing that she does indeed identify as a 'queer' woman, as her new album 'Dirty Computer' suggests. However, she's still keeping her personal life to herself and won't comment on any reports regarding who she might be dating.
Janelle Monae at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party
The 32-year-old is set to drop her third album 'Dirty Computer' tomorrow (April 27th 2018), and with it comes a huge revelation that is of so much importance to members of the LGBT community both young and old: this beautiful songstress is queer and proud.
'Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women - I consider myself to be a free-ass motherf****r', she told Rolling Stone in a new interview. 'I read about pansexuality and was like, 'Oh, these are things that I identify with too.' I'm open to learning more about who I am.'
She initially described herself as bisexual, but her discovery of the 'pansexual' label suggests that her sexuality is inclusive of all people: male, female, transgender, gender-queer, gender-neutral, androgynous etc.
Janelle won't go into detail about her sexual identity, but the clues are all there in her album. Songs like 'Mushrooms & Roses' and 'Q.U.E.E.N.' (which was initially entitled 'Q.U.E.E.R.') reference a potential lover named Mary, and she is frequently seen getting close to actress Tessa Thompson in the 45-minute 'Dirty Computer' film - described by Janelle as an 'emotion picture'.
Of course, Janelle will neither confirm nor deny that she's dating Tessa, but that doesn't matter. Sharing her identity is a huge step and creates another platform for young queer people to find their identities and accept themselves as they are.
'I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you', she explains. 'This album is for you. Be proud.'
More: Janelle Monáe's 'Dirty Computer' trailer
Stars the likes of Billie Joe Armstrong, Azealia Banks, Ezra Furman, Halsey, Sia, Tove Lo, Lady Gaga and Dodie among others have also all identified themselves as bisexual, or at least refused to put a label on their sexual preferences. It's become a delightfully normal thing for celebrities of all kinds to open up about their sexual identity in recent times; it feels like we're entering into a golden age of individuality. And we're loving it.
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