Do you think that famous people who refer to being gay or bisexual as a phase undermines the LGBT cause?
The reason I ask this question is because I recently came across an interview with the singer Jessie J, who has in the past identified herself as bisexual, however in an interview with the Daily Mirror in April of this year she renounced her bisexuality, claiming that it was a “phase”. Although she did clarify her statement by saying that bisexuality is not a phase for everyone. But I think that these sorts of statements do nothing to help our cause, if anything they damage our cause. After all, homophobes often try to claim that homosexuality and bisexuality are temporary phases, which the ‘afflicted’ will outgrow.
Frankly, I don’t see how one can claim to be bisexual for a number of years, and then all of a sudden, claim to no longer be bisexual. Whilst I understand that human sexuality is not clear cut, I also know that it is not something which you outgrow. I think that either Jessie J was never bisexual to begin with, and was merely using the controversy surrounding her sexuality as means to augment her fame at a time when she was just starting out in the music industry, or she is still bisexual and is repressing her sexuality for whatever reason, although why this would be the case, I do not know.
I am aware that some female celebrities, like Rihanna for example, are flirtatious and openly affectionate with other women to court publicity, but Rihanna has never claimed to be bisexual and then rescinded said claim.
Either way, I do not think that the likes of Jessie J are doing the LGBT community any favours by flip-flopping on the issue of her sexuality, and the assertion that it was merely a “phase” really is a dagger in the back of our entire community, in my view, because all it does is play into the hands of the homophobes who are constantly trying to make out that we have chosen the gay or bisexual or transsexual ‘lifestyle’ (a term that is used by them), when in fact we have no control over our sexuality.
Anyhow, I thought that it was an issue worth discussing, as it really annoyed me. Just out of interest, what are your views on the subject?
The reason I ask this question is because I recently came across an interview with the singer Jessie J, who has in the past identified herself as bisexual, however in an interview with the Daily Mirror in April of this year she renounced her bisexuality, claiming that it was a “phase”. Although she did clarify her statement by saying that bisexuality is not a phase for everyone. But I think that these sorts of statements do nothing to help our cause, if anything they damage our cause. After all, homophobes often try to claim that homosexuality and bisexuality are temporary phases, which the ‘afflicted’ will outgrow.
Frankly, I don’t see how one can claim to be bisexual for a number of years, and then all of a sudden, claim to no longer be bisexual. Whilst I understand that human sexuality is not clear cut, I also know that it is not something which you outgrow. I think that either Jessie J was never bisexual to begin with, and was merely using the controversy surrounding her sexuality as means to augment her fame at a time when she was just starting out in the music industry, or she is still bisexual and is repressing her sexuality for whatever reason, although why this would be the case, I do not know.
I am aware that some female celebrities, like Rihanna for example, are flirtatious and openly affectionate with other women to court publicity, but Rihanna has never claimed to be bisexual and then rescinded said claim.
Either way, I do not think that the likes of Jessie J are doing the LGBT community any favours by flip-flopping on the issue of her sexuality, and the assertion that it was merely a “phase” really is a dagger in the back of our entire community, in my view, because all it does is play into the hands of the homophobes who are constantly trying to make out that we have chosen the gay or bisexual or transsexual ‘lifestyle’ (a term that is used by them), when in fact we have no control over our sexuality.
Anyhow, I thought that it was an issue worth discussing, as it really annoyed me. Just out of interest, what are your views on the subject?
