14 DAY TRIAL // Raven Symone’s full interview with Oprah Winfrey for her OWN segment Where Are They Now aired last night and it’s already getting a lot of people talking about it online. Her comments on how she doesn’t want herself labeled as “gay” and “African-American” are getting the most attention right now.
The actress, who has long been plagued by rumors as regards her orientation, sent the rumor mill into overdrive earlier this year, when she tweeted that she was “happy” she could finally marry her girlfriend, when same-sex marriage became legal.
After that, she tried to downplay what was perceived as her official coming out announcement by saying that she wasn’t owning up to being a lesbian, she was just expressing her joy at knowing that she had the possibility of marrying another woman, should she ever desire it.
Yes, Raven Symone is gay
The actress, who is now taking art classes in college because she wants to break the stereotype of former child star whose only talent is in front of the camera, owns up to being gay on Oprah, as the first of the two videos below can confirm.
She says she always tried to “hold the fence” between her personal life and her public one, because her parents warned her when she was just a child that fame might cost her too dearly. Symone tried to avoid that by keeping her personal life a secret to the best of her ability.
“But I am proud to be who I am and what I am,” she says. “I knew when I was, like, 12. I was looking at everything. I don’t want to be labeled ‘gay.’ I want to be labeled ‘a human who loves humans’,” she insists.
Labels are bad, she doesn’t want any pegged on her
On the same topic of not wanting to be labeled, Raven says this also applies to the color of her skin: she’s not African-American, she’s just American because, in the US, all people should be colorless.
“I mean, I don’t know where my roots go to. I don’t know how far back they go… I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. I’m an American. And that’s a colorless person. I don’t label myself. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian. I connect with Asian. I connect with Black. I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture,” the actress says.
She insists that she’s not African-American even when Oprah warns her that she should prepare for the backlash: though her idea of a “colorless” nation is beautiful, by saying she’s not African-American, Raven is turning her back on her culture, she’s disowning who she is, critics are already saying.
The same goes for not wanting to be called gay: instead of using her celebrity status to bring awareness to LGBT issues, she is refusing to be a part of the community. It goes without saying that Raven’s comments are already being parsed and heavily criticized online, especially on social media.
Raven Symone has the right to call herself whatever she wants
It’s true that she could use her celebrity status to bring to attention issues within the American society that need urgent solving, but Raven Symone is convinced that she has the right to refuse to be famous and act as such.
Shortly after the OWN segment aired, she went on Twitter to explain that the opinions expressed during the interview were her own and she stood by them no matter what. She was probably anticipating the backlash already, but even so, it doesn’t look like she plans on changing her narrative just because of it.
Tonight #OWN #oprah asked me some personal ❓'s Some are out there already. I don't like drama, I'm only telling my personal truth
— Raven-Symonè (@MissRavenSymone) October 4, 2014
