Billy Porter’s mother was told she would “burn in the fiery pits of hell for loving her gay son”. These cruel words came from members of her own community who couldn’t reconcile their religious beliefs with a mother’s unconditional love.
“My mother was the greatest woman who ever walked the face of this earth,” the 55-year-old actor and singer – who came out as gay when he was 16 – has paid tribute to the way his Christian mother Cloerinda Jean Johnson Porter-Ford accepted his sexuality despite her own religious beliefs. Her strength in the face of such opposition became a guiding force in Porter’s life and career.
He told the ‘Dish from Waitrose’ podcast: “She is the personification of what true Christianity means. She didn’t understand me. She didn’t understand my gayness. She didn’t understand this theatre thing. She didn’t understand any of it. And yet and still, she was my biggest supporter. She said, ‘Whatever God has called you to do, and I believe you when you say that to me, go do that’.” Parental acceptance can be life-changing for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating their identities.
“And I’m so grateful that she lived long enough to see the fruits of her labor. Cause it wasn’t easy for her, you know, her community was not kind to her. You know, they would call her on her telephone and tell her that she was going to burn in the fiery pits of hell for loving her gay son and she did it anyway.” Many religious LGBTQ+ individuals and their families often face discrimination within their faith communities.
Billy’s mother died in February 2024, aged 79, but the Broadway star has revealed she “really got to see” his success before her death. Her passing came after witnessing her son’s numerous accomplishments, including his Tony Award win and Emmy-winning role in “Pose.”
For the last eight years of her life, she was in the Actors Fund nursing home in Englewood, New Jersey, and it was there she really understood her son’s achievements on stage. The Actors Fund, now known as Entertainment Community Fund, has provided a supportive community for entertainment professionals and their families for decades.
He added: “Because she wasn’t in the business, she didn’t really realize – and this is before like the television and the fashion and all of this, this was like ‘Kinky Boots’. But like, I’d been in the theatre business and everybody knew me for like 28 years at that point, right? So, she’s at the Actors Fund nursing home with all of these-old theatre people and blah, blah, blah, blah. Like four or five months in, she calls me, and she said, ‘Son, these people have found out that I am your mother. And these white people are losing their minds!’ She’s like, ‘Who are you?’ ” Porter’s role in “Kinky Boots” earned him a Tony Award, marking a pivotal moment in his long career.
In 2017, the ‘Pose’ star told how his mother was “born with a degenerative disability that has only progressed and worsened”, but her drive inspired him. Her perseverance through physical challenges taught Porter resilience that would serve him throughout his career in an often challenging industry.
In an interview for Build Series, he said at the time: “That woman has got out of bed every single day of her life and has fought for her life when everybody on the planet said that he shouldn’t even bother. I don’t know how to be anything else when you have an example like that. You can’t be anything else.” Strong family support systems can significantly impact quality of life for those living with chronic conditions.
Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast providers. The podcast features conversations with notable personalities about their relationships with food and family.
Porter‘s story highlights the powerful impact of parental acceptance, particularly within religious communities where LGBTQ+ issues can be contentious. Familial support is one of the most significant factors in LGBTQ+ wellbeing.
The Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning performer continues to honor his mother’s legacy through his advocacy work and artistic expressions. In recent interviews, Porter has emphasized the importance of creating spaces where faith and LGBTQ+ identity can coexist harmoniously.
His mother’s example of love transcending doctrine has become central to Porter’s personal philosophy and public messaging about inclusion and acceptance. As he continues his celebrated career spanning Broadway, television, music, and fashion, her influence remains evident in both his artistic choices and his activism.
