In today’s society, the LGBT community has developed significantly and has helped many people accept themselves and their identities. In light of Pride Month, we thought it important to support the community by highlighting some artists who are open about their sexuality. Here are some honourable mentions!
Sam Smith publicly came out as gay in May 2014 while acknowledging a relationship—since ended—with actor and model Jonathan Zeizel. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, when Stay With Me won Record of the Year, they said, “I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year.”
Then in 2019, Smith came out as gender non-binary, saying, “I’m not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between.” They are now one of the most recognised and outspoken members of the LGBT community.
Demi Lovato came out as non-binary on March 30 and confirmed their pronouns are they/them. After coming out as pansexual, they also announced that they’re “too queer” to marry a man, following the end of their engagement to actor Max Ehrich.
“I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off. I’m part of the alphabet mafia and proud,” they stated during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast.
However, this is not the first time Lovato has spoken about their identity. In a Glamour cover story, they explained wanting to be more open with their audience: “I know who I am and what I am, but I’m just waiting until a specific timeline to come out to the world.”
Kehlani came out as a lesbian through a video posted on TikTok, saying, “I finally know I’m a lesbian… I am gay, gay-gay, gay, gay.”
Fans were previously aware that the singer had identified as bisexual, especially after announcing a pregnancy with former partner YG in 2019. However, many were happy to see her gain a clearer understanding of herself and openly embrace her identity.
On June 30, 2019, the last day of Pride Month, Lil Nas X came out publicly as gay, tweeting: “some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more.”
Since coming out, his sexuality has become more visible in his music and public image, making him one of the most influential LGBTQ+ artists of his generation.
David Bowie adopted several personas across his career and made comments about his sexual orientation on many occasions. His persona of Ziggy Stardust, created in 1969, was a bisexual alien rock star.
The androgynous figure became a gay icon, and since his passing in 2016, fans have shared how he helped bring queer culture into the mainstream.
Though the Queen singer never formally labelled his sexuality, Freddie Mercury did have same-sex relationships. In 1985, he began a relationship with Jim Hutton that lasted until his death from AIDS-related illness.
Many people noted the lack of representation of this aspect of his life in the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Miley Cyrus has been open about her sexuality as pansexual for several years. In a 2015 interview, she explained that she didn’t fully understand her gender or sexuality growing up.
She has expressed dislike for labels such as “bisexual,” feeling they can be limiting, and instead embraces a more fluid identity.
Frank Ocean came out as gay in 2012 through a Tumblr post related to his album Channel Orange, where he shared a personal story about falling in love with a man.
He has since become one of the most respected and successful artists in modern music.
Elton John announced he was bisexual in 1976 and has been openly gay since 1988. He has been married to filmmaker David Furnish since 2005, and they share two sons together.
Our very own Madi Mai shares that she has known she was part of the LGBT community for most of her life.
She explains, “I didn’t really relate to my friends when they would talk about their crushes on boys… it was only when I began to consider that I could also like girls that I started to feel more comfortable.”
The singer feels lucky to have a strong support system from friends and family. “I never came out to my family, they all just kind of knew.”
We love to see it—Pride Month is for everyone!
