Five black celebrities who came out of the closet and shocked the world

Coming out of the closet to reveal your sexual orientation doesn’t seem to be an easy feat considering the stigma against the LGBTQ community.

Though times are changing and people are becoming more confident about their sexuality, the mere thought of the repercussions one may face from family and friends if things go south may still linger in the mind of whoever wants to break the news.

With some celebrities coming out of the closet and gaining full support from their families and fans alike, they have, somehow, served as inspiration for others to follow suit.

With that being said, your ultimate online destination for global lifestyle news, Nsuri, shares with you five black celebrities who came out of the closet.

Read about them below:

Lil Nas X

The multi-platinum selling musician came out of the closet in June via series of Tweets. Coinciding with the last day of pride month, the Old Town Road rapper entreated people to listen to his c7osure single.

“some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more. but before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure,” he shared with a series of emojis, including a rainbow.

In a separate tweet, he also shared the artwork for his 7’s EP which featured a rainbow.

“deadass thought i made it obvious,” he captioned.

In a later interview with CBS about the stigma, he said: “We still have a long way to go, because it’s not like everybody is messing with me now. ‘Of course, somebody who’s listening to me in school right now, it’s like, ‘You’re gay, cause you’re listening to him.’ There’s still lot to be done.”

Frank Ocean

The Grammy award-winning musician made the news in 2012 when he revealed on his Tumblr page that his debut Channel Orange album was partly about a boy he fell in love with.

Then 24-years-old, he partly wrote: “4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I’d see him, and his smile.

“I’d hear his conversation and his silence. Until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him. By the time I realised I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love. It changed my life.”

Janelle Monáe

In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, the award-winning singer and actress, who has been rumored to be romantically involved with Tessa Thompson, revealed her sexual orientation.

“Being a queer black woman in America…someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass m*ther**ker,” she said.

Tessa Thompson — Photo via @tessamaethompson on InstagramTessa Thompson

The Thor: Ragnarok and Creed actress, in an interview with Porter last year, spoke candidly about her sexuality.

“[In my family] you can be anything you want to be. I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion,” she said.

Ryan Russell

Currently a free agent, the NFL player revealed he is bisexual in an op-ed on ESPN.

“My truth is that I’m a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man,” he partly wrote.