![]() ![]() Though the pop world had Boy George and Elton John, as Luther’s genre contemporaries, he would have been R&B’s lone gay wolf. Luther was a sex symbol, and in the world of R&B, which was also deeply rooted in the African-American church, and Black experience at large, his sexuality would have certainly sent shockwaves through the community.Įven if he wanted to, there was no historical context for Vandross to feel secure in knowing that he would’ve still been loved for his talents despite the the community’s homophobia and deep obsession with toxic masculinity. One can only imagine the anxiety Luther Vandross must have felt to even fathom the idea of being an out gay Black man at the height of his musical career in the ’80s. Singer Luther Vandross poses backstage during the 29th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium Januin Los Angeles, CA. Even with today’s critical strides in the civil rights and social acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, being ‘out’ remains a brave and bold endeavor.Īnd if you’re Black and gay, it’s even more radical. Historically, it’s been a dangerous act to expose one’s sexual or gender identity, even by choice, in a society where LGBTQ people are ridiculed and often harmed as a result of it. The topic of ‘outing’ is a sensitive discussion in the LGBTQ community. For some, she only confirmed the biggest unkept secret in R&B history, while others simply felt it wasn’t her place. Reactions to LaBelle outing Vandross, who died in 2005, were mixed. ![]() –Patti LaBelle explains why Luther Vandross never came out the closet– (Photo: Steve W Grayson/Online USA) He told me that he just didn’t want to upset the world,” she added. “He did not want his mother to be –although she might have known–he wasn’t going to come out and say this to the world,” she revealed. What’s more, LaBelle revealed that her departed musical peer and best friend struggled throughout his life to come out publicly. Nevertheless, LaBelle has finally come out to shed more light on it.Patti LaBelle nearly broke the internet this week after she posthumously outed R&B superstar, Luther Vandross, on live television.ĭuring a recent interview on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen, LaBelle confirmed what had been long rumored for decades about the R&B crooner: he was a gay man. So, for those who wanted to know Vandross s*xuality back then, it must have come as a disappointment that he often evaded the question. A lot has improved over time to the extent that some people have started complaining that the LGBTQ community is being given too many rights. There were more cases of physical harassment and discrimination back then. It must have been a serious struggle for Vandross, but it’s also good that the challenge didn’t quite eat into his music life.īack then, the LGBTQ community didn’t have a voice like today. But it’s also understandable because back then gaysm hadn’t been so much accepted. However, it’s quite unfortunate to learn that the singer chose not to open up because he didn’t want to rub his audience the wrong way. It’s a great step towards knowing who Vandross really was after LaBelle came out to speak about it. Not so many people who were very close to Vandross came out to talk about the singer’s s*xuality. He hooked us up with all of these gowns…and then he became my first fan club president,” she recalled.Īfter meeting and interacting with the singer over a period, the two of them became best friends. “He came backstage at the Apollo Theater with clothes pretending he was a designer. LaBelle went further to talk about when she and Vandross first met back in the days. “It was hard for him…what a wonderful man.” “He did not want his mother to be –although she might have known–he wasn’t going to come out and say this to the world,” LaBelle told Watch What Happens Live‘s Andy Cohen, who threw a question about Vandross’ s*xuality and whether he struggled to speak out about it. According to Patti LaBelle, the late singer didn’t want to come out for fear of disappointing his mother and fans. Now we have some insight into what made him not to speak up about his sexuality. Not so many people knew why, if truly he was gay, he chose not to come out openly about it. ![]() There were talks that singer Luther Vandross was gay, but he himself never came out to declare so. ![]()
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