The queer community still mourns the loss of Whitney Houston, the iconic singer whose remarkable vocals lit up many a gay nightclub dance floor with hits like “So Emotional” and “It’s Not Right, but it’s Ok.” With a career that spanned almost three decades, she conquered the recording world, starred in several hit films, and inspired countless drag performers worldwide–the hallmark of any true cultural icon.
The new documentary Whitney: Can I Be Me? debuted on Showtime. As co-directed by noted muckraking filmmaker Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal, Can I Be Me? delves deep into Houston’s inner circle, showing the dark side of the pop diva. Houston shocked the world with her premature death in 2012 by drug overdose and downing. According to the new film, Houston carried multiple heavy secrets which contributed to her struggles with addiction.
Perhaps most shocking of all, though, the film finally confirms what the queer world believed (or at least wanted to believe): Houston had multiple lesbian affairs. The participants in the film label Whitney bisexual. Her friends explain in the film that Houston shared her most enduring, passionate relationship with Robyn Crawford. Crawford, an out lesbian, worked for years as Whitney’s assistant and general handler. More important than any clerical duties though, Robyn gave Whitney the kind of tenderness and stability she never found elsewhere in the recording world, or even within her own family.
Their love carried a heavy price. Whitney’s mother, singer Cissy Houston, never approved of her relationship with Robyn, and her staunch, Christian fundamentalist upbringing made Whitney feel, at times, ashamed of their love. As Whitney’s career began to take off, the recording world stepped in too. Not only did Houston have to maintain a certain image and sound that never sounded “too black,” she could never seem too lesbian either. With pressures mounting on Whitney, and with the rumor mill beginning to buzz about her relationship with Robyn, the singer shocked the world by marrying bad boy musician Bobby Brown. Brown has admitted in his memoir and in interviews that he knew about Whitney’s relationship with Robyn, and always suspected that she sought him out as a means of deflecting attention from her bisexuality.
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Cissy Houston, for her part, always claimed she hated Bobby Brown but admits to her own shame in the film that she hated Whitney’s relationship with Robyn even more.
Related: She sounds just like Whitney Houston and it’s blowing people’s minds
So it’s not surprising Brown and Houston had a terrible marriage. Whitney’s drug use increased, as did her drinking. Robyn stuck by Whitney during the first years of her marriage. Rising tensions between Robyn and Bobby, however, forced Robyn to leave Whitney’s employment in 2000. At that point, Houston began a long, public downward spiral that would last the rest of her life.
The 2000s saw Whitney battle drugs and alcohol, struggles with family, legal troubles, career setbacks, divorce Brown, and the deterioration of her voice. Whitney: Can I Be Me? details the singer’s remarkable career with frankness and tender affection, and offers a rare look at her private life via previously unseen concert footage and home movies. But the movie begs the key question: If Houston’s family, the recording industry, and even Whitney herself more accepted her love for Robyn, could she have conquered her drug addiction had enjoyed a longer, happier life? What if Whitney had known and embraced the truth that we in the queer community hold so dear—love is love?
The sky was the limit.
Whitney: Can I Be Me? is now playing on Showtime.
dinard38
“But the movie begs the key question: If Houston’s family, the recording industry, and even Whitney herself more accepted her love for Robyn, could she have conquered her drug addiction had enjoyed a longer, happier life?”
I think a more appropriate question would be, if they had accepted Whitney and Robyn’s relationship from the beginning, would she have even gone down that dark, dark road?
I remember watching Cissy Houston on Oprah. This interview took place right after Whitney’s death. Oprah asked her if Whitney was indeed gay would she have a problem with it. Her response was an emphatic YES!!!! I was a bit taken aback. I found her response to be a tiny bit hypocritical. After all, Cissy was a background singer for Luther Vandross for years. She knew damn well that he was gay, but that didn’t stop her from making a living off of a gay man’s back. She sung in nightclubs, sang backgrounds for the likes of David Bowie. Most Christian churches would frown upon her for being involved with secular musician and singing in nightclubs. But that’s the Christian hypocritical ways.
So imagine that Whitney had to put up with a judgmental, Christian mother. She had to play straight to keep her pop princess image squeaky clean for her record label. She couldn’t be open with the woman she cared about. Then she married her beard, crackhead Bobby Brown. That would drive anyone to drugs and alcohol.
RIP Whitney.
Donston
Gay and gay-leaning people who don’t grow up in loving, safe, accepting homes are more likely to self-reject of course but also more likely to indulge drugs, develop ego-maniac tendencies, rebellious streaks and constantly seek attention and approval. Whitney fits that bill. Couple that with the early pressures of success and popularity and she was pretty much doomed.
I don’t presume to truly know what was with Whitney. Even that documentary wasn’t that insightful. But her issues seemed numerous.
He BGB
Agree agree agree! I really disliked Cissy after that interview. It reflected a very bigoted controlling mother. Whitney was acting on her sexuality being her authentic self. As a gay person I can’t imagine going through life never acting on my gay sexuality just to please my mother and a patriarchal religion. I truly believe Whitney,would have been happier and maybe still alive if she had been allowed to be herself.
Jaxton
I don’t see Whitney as a gay icon. I don’t remember her doing anything for the gay community. She was extremely talented but gay icon? No, just no.
If she had all these issues, it ultimately was her choice to make money by appealing to the heterosexual mindset. Nobody forced her. She was her own person who made some poor choices that cost her het life.
Talented woman who sang some beautiful songs? Yes. Gay icon? No.
He BGB
Her mother and record company wouldn’t allow her to do anything for the gay community, I presume, so you’re correct. The gay community adored her talent anyway and respected her. Her mother hated gays obviously.
surreal33
A different question: why once you are multi-millionaire you give a fuck what people think about your sexuality?
Kangol
The documentary underlines how homophobia destroyed Whitney Houston. She had such an amazing gift, and it’s clear that had her mother and family accepted her relationships with Robyn, she’d probably still be alive and singing. And she also probably would have never married Bobby Brown.
Jaxton
That’s a very simplistic argument.
Orgoglio Masch
Most of the comments here seem a bit monotonous and make me wonder if we all watched the same doc. From what I saw, the part about her sexuality was just one element. Seems like pretty much everyone was instructing her to be someone else. I also didn’t see anything about multiple lesbian affairs. It was always the same woman, no? And as volatile as her marriage to Bobby Brown was, it seemed that relationship was the one part of her life where she could actually be herself.
Notright
All this time I thought she was penis envied for Bobby Brown