Frank Ocean gave new meaning to Independence Day for fans all across the globe when he decided to reveal through a beautifully poetic Tumblr post that his first love was actually a man. It was a move that shook the music world and made Ocean the first black male mainstream artist to publicly come out as a bisexual, for lack of better definition and phrasing (Ocean has not actually labeled his sexuality).
And as expected, fans of the singer reacted with a flood of visceral reactions, ranging from proud words of encouragement and love to some rather homophobic words of hate and criticism that perfectly illustrate the obstacles several closeted artists have faced in an industry that has historically shunned the idea of black male artists breaking away from heterosexual norms and coming out as gay or bisexual.
But while the fans have been battling it out about Ocean’s decision, several celebrities like Russell Simmons, Solange and Ocean’s own Odd Future “brothers” Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt have risen up in strong support of Ocean, claiming his bravery in sharing his love story has not only uplifted himself and his fans, but will help bring about a change in the industry that will open doors for LGBT artists to make it in the mainstream arena.
And if everyone else is throwing their opinion in, we’re inclined to applaud Ocean on his coming out story as well. Hopefully, his story will help to break down that barrier both in music and society and help bring about the change that so many fans an stars alike obviously want to see.
Check out all of the celebrity reactions after the cut. – nicholas robinson
