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Cynthia Erivo is a proud member of the LGBTQ community. The Tony Award winner recently opened up about her sexuality for British Vogue’s August 2022 Pride issue, where she stunned on the cover wearing a white collard shirt and fitted leather slacks, showing off her bold beauty and androgyny.
Inside the issue, Erivo admitted that initially, she was nervous about coming out as bisexual, especially at a time when LGBTQ rights appear to be under threat.
“[LGBTQ+ people] still feel the need to be constantly justifying why we deserve to be treated as equal beings when really the only difference is that we love differently and we express ourselves differently,” said the 35-year actress.
“Rather than being chastised for that, we should be commended for being brave. That’s the most important thing: giving people the space to show up fully as who they are.”
Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay ‘Bill and Justice Clarence Thomas impede LGBTQ rights
In late March, Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis signed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law. Under the new measure, teachers are prohibited from instructing on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, according to AP News. The policy has since sparked scrutiny among Democrats and other lawmakers who argue that the legislation marginalizes LGBTQ people.
Earlier this month, following the overturning of Roe V. Wade, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged the court to consider revoking same-sex marriage rights.
The Wicked star offered a few words of advice to those looking to support the LGBTQ community during this delicate time in history.
“Find their queer family and sit and chat with them.”
“Today with #pride and with wonderful people beside me I’m sharing a little more,” she declared, before giving a shout to Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor in cheif. “Thank you @edward_enninful for giving me the space and loving on me. A dream come true to grace the cover of @britishvogue with incredible people.”
This isn’t the first time that Cynthia Ervivo has spoken candidly about her bisexuality. During an interview with the Evening Standard in 2021, the Stockwell native identified herself as “queer.”
“I have never felt like I necessarily needed to come out,” Erivo explained, according to PEOPLE. “Just because no one ever really asked.”
The Harriet actress continued:
“People make assumption. No one’s ever really assumed that I’m straight! I don’t think anyone thinks of me as a person that has relationships that aren’t platonic! So I’ve never needed to even really discuss anything about my sexuality at all.”
The August issue of British Vogue will hit newsstands on July 19. Read a few highlights from the feature here.
