I Didn't Say It ...

Kelly Clarkson, on what would happen if new daughter River Rose was gay: 

“Oh, I don’t care. I mean, here’s what I hope for her: I just hope she finds love. It took me a while, man. And there was a lot of heartache throughout those years. You know, as long as she’s happy, I don’t care either way, and neither does my husband. And we have two other kids as well, and we don’t care either way for all of them."

 It seems to me that a good parent, a loving parent, just wants their child to grow up happy and to be a good person.

I don’t see them putting restrictions based on sexual ordination.

PS I love Kelly … even before she said this.

Daniel Murphy, New York Mets second baseman, after Mets Manager Sandy Alderson had Billy Bean, the first major league player to ever come out, spend a day with the team, saying he accept a gay teammate, but that he "disagrees" with the lifestyle:

 "I disagree with his lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn't mean I can't still invest in him and get to know him. I don't think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him. That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent…"

 Daniel? It’s not a lifestyle; any more than you’re being an ALLEGED heterosexual is a lifestyle.

And guess what, honey, we don’t need your approval, we don’t need you to agree with us.

We just need you to stop being a homophobe and saying stupid things like “lifestyle.”

It’s.A.Life.

Malik Yoba, on Empire’s tackling of homophobia in the African-American community:

"I think that our show represents a huge opportunity to stay in the culture beyond entertainment value and there’s an intrinsic nature of you have the gay factor, right? So, obviously, Lee is gay. That was an important storyline for him. I think it’s important for people to see themselves. Even within the Black community. But if you aren’t really, really taking it off of screen and making it live in the community in a significant way…like I know Jussie, he is gay, and he’s very committed to issues around the LGBT community. He and I have a very close relationship.”

 Nicely said; it is an important issue, in the Black community, and in all communities, to understand that we are gay and we are just fine. 

But the biggest shock was Yoba’s outing Jussie Smollett …

Jussie Smollett, refusing to discuss the issue:

"I am not willing to confirm or deny anything, I live my life…if anyone is looking to put me in a box, then that’s not going to happen, but if you really want to know about me, just watch, because I don’t hide anything. I just don’t choose to talk about my personal life."

Sad. I mean, if it’s such a stigma in the Black community to be gay, and if he’s involved in a show that’s exploring that topic, and if his character in the show is proving that ‘coming out’ is a great thing, then Smollett’s refusal to discuss being gay is kind of shaming.

I mean, here’s the queer deal: don’t discuss your private life, like who you’re dating or not dating, or what you do. But I think you could make a huge impact on the Black community, and the world at large, just by saying those two words: I’m gay.

Malik Yoba, walking back his statement:

“My reference to Jussie was only about his character and storyline on Empire.”

 Funny, though, he didn’t say the character was gay; he said Jussie was gay.

Jussie Smollett, coming out, sort of, on Ellen:

“It was really important to me to make sure that it got across that there is no closet. There’s never been a closet that I’ve been in. I don’t own a closet, I got a dresser, but I don’t have a closet. But I have a home, and that is my responsibility to protect that home. So, that’s why I choose not to talk about my personal life. But there is without a doubt, no closet that I’ve ever been in, and I just wanted to make that clear, but it was most important for me to make that clear to you on your show at this time in the world. And that’s where I’m at.”

I still kinda wish he’d say the words, because this strikes as a kind of non-coming out coming out.

I mean, playing a young black gay man on a TC show that tackles the issue of homophobia within the black community, and then not actually saying the words ‘I’m gay’ seems a little strange.

I don’t think, when coming out to his friends and family, Jussie said, ‘There is no closet.’

The best way to tell people you’re gay is to say, ‘I’m gay.’

Dan Savage, responding to future failed presidential candidate Ben Carson’s claim that gay is a choice because, well, prison:

“Dear Dr. Carson, If being gay is a choice, prove it. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that's done, Ben, show us how a man can choose to be gay. Suck my dick. Name the time and the place and I'll bring my dick and a camera crew and you can suck me off and win the argument."

 Careful, Dan. Ben spends so much time thinking about gay sex, and speculating about prison gay sex.

He might really be into it.