Is diana ross gay
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While brainstorming song ideas, Rodgers found inspiration after visiting a New York City transgender club and seeing Diana Ross impersonators performing.
Rodgers recalled, “All of a sudden a lightbulb goes off in my head. Upon its release, the gay community instantly embraced “I’m Coming Out” as a coming out anthem.
“She didn’t even get that.”
Rodgers told the New York Post he was inspired to write the track after seeing Diana Ross impersonators in the bathroom of a Manhattan nightclub.
Ross sings: “The time has come for me / to break out of the shell / I have to shout / That I'm coming out.”
The singer only learned about the empowering song’s other meaning after previewing it for an influential radio host.
The song remains a triumphant symbol of freedom for the LGBTQ community and marginalized people everywhere. Basically, the reason why it’s just [called] ‘Diana’ is it’s a documentary.”
The first single “Upside Down,” which went No. 1, came directly out of those conversations: “Those were her words actually,” says Rodgers.
In 2021, she told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m Coming Out means freedom to me. We are a group of friends that bonded over their shared love of playing guitar.
But the Queen of Motown’s music forever touched millions of LGBTQ lives by echoing their own journeys towards fearless self-expression.
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It became an anthem for the gay community. Well, she has chosen not to publicly discuss it one way or another. “She didn’t even get that.”
At least not until Ross played the song for influential WBLS DJ Frankie Crocker. “Not only was it a star, it was, like, the star.”
But Rodgers and Edwards helped make that superstar shine brighter than ever: Ross’ classic “Diana” album — released 40 years ago on May 22, 1980 — went on to become the best-selling LP of her career with hits such as “Upside Down” and the gay anthem “I’m Coming Out.” And perhaps more significantly, it set the twirling template for all of the diva dance-pop that would come after that, from Madonna and Janet Jackson to Beyoncé.
It was a tricky, transitional time for Ross at the beginning of the post-disco era.
You probably know Diana Ross as the legendary Queen of Motown. Ross lets the messages of self-love and freedom in songs like “I’m Coming Out” speak for themselves. “I said, ‘Diana, this song is gonna be your coming-out song. “But she knew that’s what we were doing.”
To that end, Rodgers and Edwards “interviewed” Ross before writing a note of music.
However, the mystery around her own sexuality has persisted for decades.
Ross’ close friend, prominent NYC radio DJ Frankie Crocker, recognized the song’s gay meaning and gave it significant airplay.
The irresistible dance floor filler topped the charts, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
There is a commonly held belief among devotees that she is bisexual or fluid in her sexuality. “All of a sudden a lightbulb goes off in my head,” he says. “The disco era ended in the summer of ’79, and she came out the next year,” says Rodgers. “And then we went and we wrote the album. I embrace that.” Indeed, the song’s legacy continues as a cultural milestone for LGBTQ visibility and expression.
Ross’ Enduring Gay Icon Status
Beyond “I’m Coming Out,” Ross’ flamboyant stage presence and glamorous diva persona have appealed to LGBTQ fans for decades.
“And I even wrote a [horn] fanfare. But the singer herself has no interest in labeling her sexual identity for the public.
The Impact of Her Silence
Ross’s declining to directly address the many years of speculation has allowed fans to freely project their own ideas and beliefs onto her carefully crafted public image.