That’s So Raven star Raven-Symoné took a break from starring in Boradway’s Sister Act to address recent rumors that she’s a lesbian and dating model AzMarie Livingston.
“I’m living my PERSONAL life the way I’m happiest,” she tweeted today. “I’m not one, in my 25 year career to disclose who I’m dating. and I shall not start now. My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I’m datings to know.”
The National Enquirer spilled the T on the 26-year-old television veteran who got her start on The Cosby Show, saying “[Raven] is at a point now where she doesn’t care what her family thinks, and she’s in love with AzMarie.”
In a follow-up tweet, Symoné clarified her desire for privacy: “I’m not one for a public display of my life. However that is my right as a HUMAN Being, whether straight or gay. To tell or not to tell. As long as I’m not harming anyone. I am a light being made from love. And my career is the only thing I would like to put on display, not my personal life. Kisses!”
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That’s her right of course, but we’re not hearing a know.
Marie Cohn
No straight person ever says this stuff.
NormalAdjacent
Given a little time to adjust to this being public, (and of it’s true and she’s decides how she’ll identify) she’ll come out and be a great advocate. It’ll probably jump start her career playing adult characters, too.
jason
Unfortunately, women often form relationships out of convenience. As a rule, women don’t need to be aroused in order to have sex with someone, and this overall fakeness spreads into their entire persona.
As for Raven, why on earth should she concern us? Why are we discussing someone who is not important in our scheme of things?
MJ
@jason: because celebrity gossip sites brought it up out of nowhere and now everyone is saying “is she gay?”
Cam
“”“I’m living my PERSONAL life the way I’m happiest,” she tweeted today. “I’m not one, in my 25 year career to disclose who I’m dating. and I shall not start now. My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I’m datings to know.””
________________________
I just wish Hollywood didn’t put such shame on this. Poor thing, playing the pronoun game and thinking that she is being clever.
I hope that she relaxes and accepts herself a bit more. But good for her for at least not denying it.
Mykey
cute couple!
Eldred
The people commenting on this site are insane. She basically said it’s her business.
It seems some of your are mad that she want’s to keep that part of her life private.
No, she didn’t scream anti-gay nonsense, nor did she jump to her feet in happiness that she’s out.. She simply stated in her own words that it’s her business.
-and Cam, “relaxes and accepts herself a bit more”? .. reaching.
She seems to accept herself just fine. -but keeping her love life private is just that; keeping it private.
$0.02
Oh Jason, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Shut the hells up 🙂
Malky
Ok, she’s gay. Confirmed.
Cam
@Eldred: said…
“The people commenting on this site are insane. She basically said it’s her business.
It seems some of your are mad that she want’s to keep that part of her life private.”
_____________________
Don’t even try it troll.
Don’t even try to pretend that somebody in Hollywood thinks that their private life is private when every single interview they go on asks them about family. When somebody answers a question like Raven answered this one all it says is that they are ashamed and think it’s a dirty secret.
Every other celebrity has to deal with questions, just because she is a closet case she shouldn’t expect to be treated any differently.
Oh, ok
I love how one minute “the gay community” says if someone is comfortable with themselves and their sexuality they’ll reply in the positive way Raven did, yet when someone responds the way Raven did they’ll be labeled gay by “the gay community” and the media.
Are you people stuck stupid or what?
Just a few weeks ago you people were having a heart attack because some kid didn’t want to pretend to sing romantically with another guy and he just had to be gay because he wasn’t comfortable with it.
This garbage makes no sense. In your pathetic minds everyone must be gay no matter what if you deem it so.
Cam
@Oh, ok: said…
“I love how one minute “the gay community” says if someone is comfortable with themselves and their sexuality they’ll reply in the positive way Raven did, yet when someone responds the way Raven did they’ll be labeled gay by “the gay community” and the media.”
________________________
Nice try, you invent something that nobody said, and then you have a little argument with the subject that you yourself created.
Anybody who answers in the way Simone did isn’t comfortable with it and is hiding it. But you know…you keep on trying to make up stuff, I would hate for you to break your streak of always attacking the gay “Community” in every single post of yours.
Rockery
I heard this before
Adam
I guess I don’t see why we have to assume she is ashamed of herself? I think her point is fair– stop gossiping about my personal life because it’s mine. While I don’t personally care who knows I’m gay, it is my business, and I would feel awkward if people all over the internet were spending their time speculating who I am dating.
Robbie
Oh, please change that hideously glaring misspelling in the last sentence: ‘no’, not ‘know’. Just because Raven can’t spell, doesn’t mean Queerty has to follow suit…
She seems happy and successful in an industry that has broken and damaged too many people. Good for her!
james_from_cambridge
@jason: I’m begging you, please go die already!
Rooney
@james_from_cambridge: I agree with this comment.
Alternatively: Jason, you forgot to take your meds again, dude.
roxorz
@Cam: CLEARLY you are the troll sir.
What Raven did is no different then what any straight celebrity says. All the time people like Taylor Swift don’t divulge or comment on who they’re dating. Both gay and straight people have the right keep personal lives personal and that doesn’t mean they aren’t “happy” or proud.
Jake
I grew up on ‘That’s So Raven’ and I love her no matter what. If she’s gay or bi then that only makes her even cooler in my eyes..
Belize
@Cam: “Anybody who answers in the way Simone did isn’t comfortable with it and is hiding it.”
Darling, no matter how you phrase that statement, and no matter who you call a troll, that won’t change the fact that it’s nothing more than speculative. Perhaps it is you who should try again. A wiser argument would suffice given that this one, based on nothing more than assertions and your own projections of reality (given that you have yet to meet EVERY single being on the planet) is simply W E A K.
Belize
@roxorz: “Both gay and straight people have the right keep personal lives personal and that doesn’t mean they aren’t “happy” or proud.”
Trying to cure Cam of his/her adverse paranoia? I doubt that this will work. @Cam doesn’t seem to have the mental aptitude to differentiate a really good assumption (which s/he has yet to present by the way) from fact. S/he’ll probably be a good gossip columnist. But certainly not a journalist. Sorry Cam. Try a different career. You can be a political analysts for the American right since I’m sure your qualifications (sans LGBT-stance) would fit their world perfectly.
LadyL
It’s fascinating how celebs have no concerns about privacy when they’re trying to get celebrated. If being let alone and never having to acknowledge any aspect of your personal life is so important to you, then why are you in this industry? The dirty little secret is that when no one cares anymore who you’re dating, it’s over and you know it.
*
And how come the word “privacy” always gets trotted out whenever we’re talking about gay celebs? Isn’t it possible to acknowledge you’re gay and decline to discuss who you’re involved with? That’s the only scenario in which the word “privacy” makes any sense to me; otherwise what’s really going on is secrecy, with all the shame and fear that word implies. Ask Clay Aiken. Ask Ricky Martin.
Geri
Well I’m just going to assume everyone is Bi until proven otherwise.
roxorz
@LadyL: “then why are you in this industry?”
You must be joking right? They’re in the industry because they love to act/sing/dance etc. Whatever job you have, did your boss ask you who you’re sleeping with… I doubt it because it’s none of his business and has no effect on how you do your job.
@LadyL: “And how come the word “privacy” always gets trotted out whenever we’re talking about gay celebs?”
Wrong once again. There are PLENTY of straight women/men e.g Taylor Swift like I mentioned above that won’t comment on their personal lives.
DouggSeven
So what if she’s gay…or straight – why would anyone care either way? She’s not running for a political seat or has a say in politics whatsoever. America is too celebrity crazed – even D list celebrities are worshipped. Live your life and quit following people who barely finished High School.
todd
I think she has a good point. We are always looking for allies and push them towards being positive role models with out much difference as to whether they want to be or not. Maybe we should change that course so others will see, we can seemlessly live our lives without having to make declarations of ourselves.
Cam
@Belize: said…
“Darling, no matter how you phrase that statement, and no matter who you call a troll, that won’t change the fact that it’s nothing more than speculative. Perhaps it is you who should try again. A wiser argument would suffice given that this one, based on nothing more than assertions and your own projections of reality (given that you have yet to meet EVERY single being on the planet) is simply W E A K.”
___________________
Sorry sweetie, you can dance around the issue and do all you can to try to distract. But the fact is, her reaction is a classic deflection from something that she feels ashamed about. Your vague nebulous comments do not change that.
But then again, most of your comments are defenses of closet cases so I shouldn’t be surprised.
john
“… we’re not hearing a know.”
Proof read.
AaronT
I agree that people have a right to privacy, but to be fair, if a straight person is asked if they are gay, they respond with something like:
“Well, if I WAS it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I’m NOT.”
See, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine
If a gay person is asked if they are gay, they respond with something like:
“Well, I don’t discuss my personal life and it’s no one’s business IF I am or am not.”
See, Jody Foster, Anderson Cooper
We have yet to see a straight person refuse to answer a question about their orientation. We have yet to see someone who refuses to answer the question not eventually come out as gay. If you can name me one celebrity who refused to specify their sexuality who later was dating or married someone of the opposite sex…
I’m not talking about wanting privacy regarding their dating partners, I’m talking about asked point blank if they are gay, and refusing to answer, as Raven has done here.
curt
She’s gay obviously but doesn’t want to make an public announcement. Again, no straight person doesn’t deny being gay or shy about saying their straight.
Urethra Franklin
Ricky Martin said the same thing to Barbara Walters back in the day too…..
UsualPlayers
I think we have seen this drama before.
It feels like a repeat from the last season As the Gay Turns.
Basically, this is the normal first step for a celebrity.
Deny, but not fully deny.
When she comes out, she will claim to have always been out. Indeed, the people on here supporting the closet will find someone way to support the closet then. This shtick doesn’t change. it happened with Bomer, the actor from White Collar. It happened with Clay Aiken. It happens with just about every actor or singer who comes out. There’s always someone on here protecting the closet. There always some convoluted reason for why the star’s “privacy’ (something they don’t care about in any other instance except their sexual orientation) must be protected at all cost.
Hell, you had Queen Latifah announce to the world that she was sexually abused as a child (nothing more private than that) , and yet she can’t tell us her sexual orientation. Not who she’s dating. Not what they do in the bedroom. The mere fact that the person is her same gender. That, and nothing else, is “private.”
The same game is being played her by Raven. Its the same game that will always be played.
Its a rather clear instance of how many layers there are to the closet. How deeply homophobia runs. Like racism, there are many layers to it. Sometimes it obvious, but as we gain our rights- many times it will become more complicated. Here, the closet is “privacy” although in no other instance does privacy matters to the person being discussed.
Oh, ok
@Cam: Do you ever tire of embarrassing yourself on this blog?
I called you out one time and you still haven’t let it go when it’s been how many months? Get a life, dude.
UsualPlayers
THe other interesting aspect of the protectors of the closet here is that no matter how many times they embarass themselves defending the closet of this or that star, they know no shame. they keep posting as if there was no history of these exact type of postings in which they defend the closet, the star later comes out, and the defenders of the closet continue to defend it anyway. Its really strange. Its like they have an agenda outside of what is actually factually happening with the stars. Again See Matt Bomer. He thankfully came out, but before he did there was this insane parade of people here defending his closet and his honor. The same is true of just about every closet case one can think of. Its really strange on some level as we we are fighting for gay equality that there are some people who seem to have as their only fuction to defend those elements that indicate if only by reference that there is something wrong with being gay. Meanwhile there are other elements here that in other articles will attack a gay person for defending himself. If I didn’t know better I w ould almost suspect some of the people posting here are not gay or bi or even interesting helping gay or bi people, but no, that couldn’t be it. Everyone here is on the up and up,r ight.
UsualPlayers
There’s actually even a better example. The guy who was in Clash of the Titans – forgetting his name. This guy was out, and then he went back into the closet, and sure enough, there was those defending his choice to re-closet himself here as a valid choice, include some for “prviacy” reasons. The twists and contortions necessary for such bizare commentary would likely challenge a Circe Du Soleil (spelling?) performer.
Geri
@UsualPlayers: OK so let’s for argument’s sake say it’s true that Raven-Symoné and AzMarie Livingston are having sexual relations right now. Does that mean Raven-Symoné must be an actual lesbian? Or at the very least seriously bisexual.
To anyone who thinks the answer to that question must be yes……
Ever heard of a model called Jenny Shimizu? Her list of sexual conquest include Angelina Jolie, Ione Skye, Rebecca Loos & Madonna. You think any of those four ladies are lesbians?
Maybe this is the first time Raven-Symoné has been with another woman. Maybe it’s all a bit confusing for her right now. Maybe she’s always seen herself settling down with a man eventually and maybe she still does. Maybe she is not taking this thing seriously and just enjoying the sex. Maybe that’s all AzMarie is doing too.
So, if something like this was what was really going on between these two do you really think that it’s important that the world knows all about it?
paz
@UsualPlayers: You can call me a defender of the closet if that makes you feel better. But just like I don’t think a celebrity has to reveal their political party or religion it’s not their job to make you feel any better about your sexuality. It’s easy to say what a celebrity should or shouldnt do when you’re not one of them. Maybe years from now sexuality will be so unimportant but right now it still kinda is. They shouldn’t have to have any labels just like no one is asking you to go around announcing everywhere you go that you are gay.
It cracks me up when people think there is only ONE way to live or act. If someone doesn’t want to talk about their sexuality then WHY DO YOU CARE??
UsualPlayers
(a) Paz, yes , you are a defender of the closet, and no, it not a matter of because I say so. Its a matter of logic of what you are saying.
Part of the issue, here, of course, is the dishonesty of your post. I mean- do people hide any of the things you mention? Its like the prior idiotic claims that “straight people don’t hide their sexuality” and none of you could explain how showing up with a husband or wife doesn’t tell us what a celebrity sexuality is. The conversation requires you to deny, and through that denial dishonestly claiming that whatever category you can come up with is really a secret.
the lie is that its a secret. You know, and I know you are lying, but it would take too much effort for most to illustrate how.
I await your whining about either (1) How you aren’t really endorsing the closet despite your misdirection (2) how you aren’t a liar and I am a big meanie for saying you are or (3) slinking away. I support there are other possibilities, but most of it will come down to you got n othing to explain why you are so patholigical about defending to clause. My pet theory is that osme of you are in the closet or have been and so feel pathologically compelled to defend your own mistakes. get over it. No one needs to defend bad moral decisions.
(b) If she’s in a romantic relationship with someone of her same gender (which is the only relevant piece of info that we need to know) she could be a lot of things from bi to gay. I have no clue. What I do know is that the constant whining about pointing out that someone is something other than straight by the protectors of the closet is getting old.
AfterElton, which is big on protecting people’s close, once said that the thing about closet celebrities is that they often aren’t being asked to go into details of their sex lives, and yet , in the minds of the closet case, the bigot, or those with a vest interest in protecting the closet,t hat’s what its about. The real discussion is just about a simple premise: The more out people htere are , the better it is for all gay people because it normalizes it as a part of a natural part of life.
No one is forcing this person to be out, but if she is bi or gay, or whatever, she should be frank about it because it does demonstrate moral courage. She can choose to lack that moral courage,b ut her lack of courage is not a virtue. it a vice. The whole privacy shtick is designe dot cover up the fact that basically the closet is about fear and being a coward. sometimes- if violence etc are in volved-it may be necessary. But it still about negative things.
The idea that there is something wrong with being gay- whether socially or morally. What I am interested in are the tacit ways in w hich we allow homophobia to continue. Whether its the older gay couple who is afraid to hold hands in public while any straight couple does it as a matter of course or something like this where a bunch of sad queens rush into defend the closet because they spent their lives protecting other closet cases.
These are all things as gay equality becomes the normal that are going to have to be confronted by the gay communities. if its not, it will remain stuck in the bigoted past even as the laws change.
May be she is confused. May be she doesn’t know. if she had said that, and said, let me have my space to figure out what I am- I would have respected that. It wouldn’t have implied there’s anything wrong with whatever she turns out to be.
See the approach here is the approach. the negative connonation on being gay or bi or whatever. That’s what involved in creating closets.
masterroshi
@UsualPlayers: Well I’m glad you don’t control this world or the people living in it. We all are sharing in this human experience and if someone says “Hey, you can talk about me all you want but i’m not gonna talk about what goes on in my bedroom” I’m fine with that. You may want to live your human experience in a different way but she doesn’t have to live hers that way. GO RAVEN GO!!
Oh, ok
@UsualPlayers: Typing walls of text doesn’t make you right, nor does changing your name, Cam.
Get a life.
Shannon1981
Straight people don’t play this game. Definitely gay.
Eldred
@Cam: I’m a troll? Really? Because I explained what she basically said, and nowhere did I say anything about Hollywood private lives and secrecy.
I have no Idea what you’re on about.. but my words were “that part of her life secret”.
-also, just now I read some of the peoples reply’s to you, and I actually think you may be a troll. -However, I’m not getting into that, not that important.
CupCake
She’s a lesbian and we need to be in her face to get her support.
No more out hypocrites who won’t speak up for our rights.
Kayo
Raven is very classy, she has never exploited her personal life and she is a very positive role model for young girls, always has been. Let’s not hate on her.
UsualPlayers
@Shannon1981: Exactly. That’s the interesting part about all the defense of it. Its clearly only something gay people do.
Those defended it are a part of how it works. She will stay in a closet for a long time because she will be in a world in which the same homophobia that creates the closet will tell us that its okay for her to be in the closet this way. That a public closet is okay so long as everyone can wink and nod like there is a deep dark terrible thing that’s happening rather than just just someone happens to be gay or bi or exploring. By making it so deep dark secret, and requiring these hot mess answers, its not normalized as unimportant like someone being straight is.
its turned into a drama where closet queens and homophobes get to twist thing in a strung out drama
UsualPlayers
@Oh, ok: And lying about what those walls of text say is not a rebuttal, its just you lying because you have no argument to defend your defense of the closet. As I said before, the normalization of being gay or bi or questioning is my point. Yours seem to be that there is something to hide here. So long as that’s the case, you are reinforcing homophobia because the implications is that there is something wrong with gay, bi or questioning or whatever that’s not straight since we all know this does not occur with straight relationships.
Oh, ok
@UsualPlayers: You’re so mad over a 20 something girl keeping her private life private. Get a life. You’re honestly extremely pathetic. I almost feel sorry for you, but you clearly have a screw loose so you must not be in any pain over it.
UsualPlayers
@Oh, ok: We both know this pattern of defending the closet is not unique to this girl. Why do you persist in lying?
Oh, ok
@UsualPlayers: LOL, you seriously need to go outside, and make some friends.
Find a hobby or join a club. I don’t know how “out” you think you are hiding online and having no life but you’re what you claim to hate so much.
Stop hiding, go outside. Join the rest of the world. Maybe then you won’t care so much about celebrities off-screen private lives.
TASTEY GOODIES
ALL YOU LADIES POP YO’ PUSSY LIKE THIS! DO IT NOW! LICK IT GOOD!
Let's be real here
Doug7-She’s clearly NOT straight. She’s either bisexual or lesbian, and dating a woman.
I think that she should just come out and stop being so closeted. Then again she hasn’t been relevant since she was on the Cosby show and later some tripe on the Disney channel.
Meanwhile she’s locking herself into her glass closet complete with monosexism with the false notion that you can either be gay/lesbian or straight which is BS:
“I’m living my PERSONAL life the way I’m happiest. I’m not one, in my 25 year career to disclose who I’m dating. and I shall not start now,” the actress Tweeted on Friday. “My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I’m datings to know. I’m not one for a public display of my life.
“However that is my right as a HUMAN BEing whether straight or gay. To tell or not to tell. As long as I’m not harming anyone,” she added. “I am a light being made from love. And my career is the only thing I would like to put on display, not my personal life. Kisses!”
Drew
Usual players: TL;DR.
If she was hetero she just would say, “I’m dating a man and his name is…” instead of being so secretive about who she’s dating and their gender.
Carlos
Oh, ok I agree with you here: This garbage makes no sense. In your pathetic minds everyone must be gay no matter what if you deem it so.
SteveC
Silly Raven.
She’s dating a reality TV ‘star’.
If the relationship with AzMarie does not work out, then AzMarie will quite likely ‘out’ her. These reality ‘stars’ are very fond of headlines.
By the way Raven’s response screams ‘I’m a lesbian but I want to stay in the closet’.
KV
Whatever she is (which is totally no one’s business), I like the way she handled this situation.
M
So tha@todd:
Raven could “seamlessly” live her life whether she made a declaration or not. The fact that one comes out doesn’t always disrupt that, especially in 2012.
Nevertheless, the National Enquirer was right–yet again.
cam
@Oh, ok:
My comment to you was …
”
Nice try, you invent something that nobody said, and then you have a little argument with the subject that you yourself created.
Anybody who answers in the way Simone did isn’t comfortable with it and is hiding it. But you know…you keep on trying to make up stuff, I would hate for you to break your streak of always attacking the gay “Community” in every single post of yours.”
____________
Since you couldn’t argue with anything I said you try to pretend that my dissagreeing with you is a personal attack. Nice try, I see you’re taking lessons on discourse from the GOP.
janice
Its obvious she’s not straight.
cowtownruss
Why does everyone feel a need to criticize this young woman’s decision to try to keep her private life private? Who cares if she’s gay? and,…who cares if she’s straight? Yes,..she is a celebrity—so what? More importantly—she is a human being. A human being trying to live her own life. When I was young and still “in the closet”, I struggled, as most do, to try to come to grips with how to share this big SECRET with all the loved ones in my life (family & friends). I was in torment. I asked the wisest, most intelligent person i know this question: “What do you think about someone being….gay?” (even then, I couldn’t come right out & say “I” was gay) She looked me right square in the face, and without hesitation, said: “It doesn’t matter what I think, that’s between them and God”. This was the most perfect thing anyone has every said to me regarding this subject and I still recall that statement on a daily basis & replay the scene and “those most perfect words” every single day of my life. You see,…ultimately, whether some of us admit it or not, He {God} is in total control of all things. If you are a believer, then you know God is Love. AND,..God makes no mistakes (just like Lady Ga Ga says) By the way,..my wise & intelligent person I referred to has been one my most beloved and best friends in my life and has been my teacher and pastor for nearly 18 years now and I have to give her credit for being a contributing factor for saving my life and helping me to know that I am LOVED!!…no matter what. Why don’t we all just try to learn from example? Put down your “clobber-sticks” of judgement, hate, & bitterness with one another regarding the lives of others and their choices and try to live your own life with some dignity, integrity, and self respect. Aren’t we trying to raise our collective voices to say: “Can’t we all just LOVE one another & get along?”
cowtownruss
David, I can’t believe you actually read my comment ! I think you’re adorable
Steve
@AaronT: for me, it was tough in the beginning to admit it to myself, no less others. I would hedge my answers about who i was dating. I did not want to lie, but was afraid to be transparent at the same time. Now I no longer care what people think so I can say I’m gay without hesitation.
cam
@cowtownruss: said…
”
Why does everyone feel a need to criticize this young woman’s decision to try to keep her private life private?”
____________________
Nobody is asking what she does in private. And equating being honest about who you are and who you love as an equal subject for “Do you like to get peed on in bed” is bigoted and idiotic.
Nobody is asking for her bedroom details, she is the one acting like she has a shameful ditry secret. This isn’t about privacy, it is about her internalized homophobia. And that ISN’T so Raven!
cowtownruss
Cam, you are kinda mean-spirited. Did you, or do you have a rough, hard life? I’ll say a little extra prayer for you today. Hope you’re still not talking about Raven & other closeted peeps. If so,..I would have to ask: don’t you have some other, important things to do? May I suggest reading a nice, good book? If you don’t have a nice “good book” to read, please let me know & I’ll send you one. God bless you & have a great day!
Tegan
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