Alongside a new cover for The Advocate—“How Kehlani Carved a Path As a Queer Musician and Mom”—the singer and songwriter has some other news to share. On Instagram Live, Kehlani told fans: “Wanna know what’s new about me? I finally know I’m a lesbian!” Love that!
The clip was shared on social media by user @bestsapphics Monday:
In a cover story for The Advocate released Tuesday, Kehlani reveals:
“I don’t walk down the street and people look at me and go, Oh, I bet she’s queer. Or I bet that she’s into women or anything like that because of the way I present. That’s all privilege and I think that there are quite a few artists who were truly at the forefront but weren’t able to make the strides that I was able to make being 100 percent myself because of the way they present and the biases and the phobias of the American public and the world…. I’ve been lucky, super lucky.”
The singer also tells the outlet that their generation of musicians is “able to talk about the gender spectrum and just how fluid and how limitless and how many options there are to truly figure out what it is exactly you identify with.” Previously, Kehlani came out as queer in 2018.
Kehlani also had this to say, on motherhood:
“Anything you could imagine that we’ve been taught is our purpose, I just want my daughter to know that it’s OK to feel you don’t agree with any of that and it’s OK to march to the beat of your own drum. Too many kids, they grow up with these incredible, beautiful dreams that aren’t anything like what we’ve been told we have to do. And then they hit teenager years and they’re like, Oh, shit. I have to fall into the assembly line.”
She continues that “all my friends, all her aunties, uncles, her godparents, everybody is just loudly queer,” which sounds spectacular and ideal.
What a nice Tuesday! I hope everyone enjoys it.