It’s been nearly a week since genre-bending newcomer Frank Ocean rocked the world of music with his decision to reveal that he once fell in love with man. Since then, a bevy of Ocean’s music peers and fans, both new and old alike have rallied behind the singer to show their support. Now, one of the pop world’s biggest stars, Beyoncé, has decided to publicly stand behind Ocean as well.
On Friday, July 7, Beyoncé posted a black-and-white photo of Ocean on her personal Tumblr page. On the photo, Beyoncé wrote something of a tribute poem, praising the Channel Orange singer for being brave enough to share his personal story of same-sex love with the world.
“Be fearless / Be honest / Be generous / Be brave / Be poetic / Be open / Be free / Be yourself / Be in love / Be happy / Be inspiration,” she wrote.
It’s a touching move for the superstar and perhaps a great way to return the favor to Ocean, who, last year, penned Beyoncé’s fan fave 4 track “I Miss U.”
Last year, Beyoncé showed her love for the LGBT community in an interview with Pridesource.com, claiming they were the bravest and strongest fans she has.
“If anyone is brave and true to themselves, it’s my gay fans,” she said. “The amount of confidence and fearlessness it takes to do what maybe is not what your parents expect you to do or what society may think is different – to be brave and be different and to be yourself – is just so beautiful…. Not worrying about satisfying or becoming what other people think you’re supposed to be, that’s like the ultimate dream.”
We commend Beyoncé throwing her support behind Ocean, especially considering that he’s walking in shaky and uncharted territory for a black male artist. And like Beyonce, below are other celebrities like Busta Rhymes, Russell Simmons, and Bey’s own sister, Solange, who’ve shown their support for Ocean. –nicholas robinson
