In a move that can only be envied by other celebrities wishing to control their own narratives, yesterday Frank Ocean eloquently answered the sexuality question. The singer/songwriter silenced speculation by posting on his Tumblr page that his first love was a man.
He wrote in part:
4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide….By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love. It changed my life….I don’t have any secrets I need to keep anymore. . . . I feel like a free man.”
Frank explained via Tumblr page that he wrote the piece back in December and intended to put it in the liner notes of his new album Channel Orange, but “with all the rumors going round.. [he] figured it’d be good to clarify..”.
The response to Frank’s admission was swift and ranged the full spectrum of support to disgust. However, several celebrities came out in support of the singer’s sexuality and the fact that he revealed it.
Hip Hop Mogul and motivational tweeter Russel Simmons wrote “The Courage Of Frank Ocean Just Changed The Game!” on GlobalGrind.com saying:
Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear. His gifts are undeniable. His talent, enormous. His bravery, incredible. His actions this morning will uplift our consciousness and allow us to become better people.
Author dream hampton wrote on her own Tumblr page a thank you to Frank Ocean saying:
We are all made better by your decision to share publicly…We admire the great courage and beauty and fearlessness in your coming out, not only as a bisexual Black man, but as a broken hearted one….A million twirls on this spinning ocean blue globe in this vast endless blackness for you my love.
dream hampton also said that when she emailed her letter to Jay-Z, he immediately posted it on his website as a show of support for Frank.
Other celebrities took to Twitter to express their support.
The response to Frank Ocean is still in it’s infant stages, but right now the glitterati seems to be shouting down – or silencing altogether – any high-profile negative response. It will be interesting to see if Frank’s courage inspires any other artists to come out of their closets soon or if they’ll just stand muted on the sidelines observing Frank’s repercussions.
What do you think? Were you surprised by the support of some celebs and/or the deafening silence of others?
Follow Alissa Henry on Twitter @AlissaInPink
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