Arts & Entertainment
‘American Idol’ finalist claims she ‘chose’ to be straight
the singer says she decided her sexuality
(Screenshot via YouTube)
“American Idol” runner-up La’Porsha Renae is claiming that being gay or straight is a choice because she was able to choose her sexuality.
Renae began defending herself when a person tweeted that the 23-year-old singer was homophobic.
Phobia is a fear. I’m not afraid of homosexuals, nor do I hate them. I respect and love EVERYONE. https://t.co/IejlheUqx5
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
Go educate yourself on my statement and come correct or don’t come at all. #RENAETION #DONTBELIEVEVERYTHINGTHE #INTERNETSAYSABOUTPEOPLE https://t.co/IejlheUqx5
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
Renae got personal when she revealed she made the choice to be gay for two years before she decided to be straight.
You’re wrong to think it’s not a choice for some….because it was for me. #Truth https://t.co/qHPqu4eJjN
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
And the bigger picture of my statement was that homosexuals should be loved and respected, not dehumanized…not whether/not it was a choice https://t.co/qHPqu4eJjN
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
@kays1023 Lol now who’s judging? U haven’t walked in my shoes, so don’t try to diagnose me…it’s not your place 2 tell me what I was/wasn’t
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
@kays1023 This convo is over. Point is that we should love and respect EVERYONE regardless of our different belief systems. #THATSTHEPOINT..
— La’Porsha~Renae (@laporsharenae) March 8, 2017
Renae elaborated on her tweets in a statement to The Huffington Post saying to those who disagree with her to, “Let people believe what they want to believe about themselves.”
“I took a journey and became more grounded in my faith, and decided that I wanted to live a heterosexual life,” the statement reads. “Some people believe they chose homosexuality and some believe they didn’t. Who’s to say one is wrong? It’s not fair to generalize anyone’s sexuality or walk of life.”
“We don’t have to have the same truths or personal belief systems to love one another and get along… Everyone should have the right to believe in what they believe in and to live their lives the way they feel they want to,” the statement continues.
Last year Renae came under fire for saying she doesn’t “really agree” with the lifestyle of the LGBT community.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
