Was luther gay

Luther was a sex symbol, and in the world of R&B, which was also deeply rooted in the African-American church, and Black experience at large, his sexuality would have certainly sent. When Vandross was alive, there was speculation that he was gay. But, he never officially came out. Cohen asked LaBelle if the two of them ever spoke about his sexuality and the possibility of him one day telling the world his truth.

However, LaBelle said that he didn't want to come out because he didn't want to let certain people down. Luther Vandross was lonely and tried to hide his sexual orientation, according to Lenny Kravitz Kravitz used to live with songwriter David Lasley, who was also his mentor. Yes, Luther Vandross was gay. The singer was in the closet his entire life and his true sexuality was only revealed after his death by his friend, Patti LaBelle.

The "Lady Marmalade" singer revealed why Luther never wanted to discuss his sexual orientation openly. Being the first in the face of such oppression is always daunting; particularly when one has to confront both racism and homophobia. For men in music at that time, there was an incredible responsibility to be a fantasy of sorts for female listeners. The tragedy is not that LaBelle outed Vandross without his blessing.

The tragedy is that he had to hide it in the first place. In a interview with Vibe , Vandross jokingly responded to the years-long chatter about his sexuality. Not being candid about his sexuality brought an onslaught of rumors that he had contracted AIDS. Nothing about being out at that time seemed safe or worthwhile.

Like any Black gay man, closeted or not, Vandross only desired what anyone wanted out of life: love and happiness. In the same Vibe interview, Vandross admitted that he had never been in love. Those are just the circumstances. That alone tells us we still have a long way to go.

Unfortunately we will never know whether or not Luther would have felt empowered enough to come out, as his former J Records boss, Clive Davis , did in What we do know is that what kept him in the dark is an industry, and a society, marred by bigotry. Maybe not.

luther vandross' mother

Having expectations that prevented him from being out, and proud of the talented and loving man that he was. While Luther may have lived in the closet, let us honor his legacy by cultivating a better society than the one he knew. Follow him on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook. Sign out. Return to Homepage. Top Stories: Latest on 's big bill Diddy verdict analysis approval rating Big bill immigration crackdown Poll: Americans on Iran strike Beach safety Diddy verdict live updates Senate passes 's big bill Big bill winners and losers 4th of July travel.

Solve the daily Crossword 29, people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? Play on Yahoo.