Jamaican reggae singer Diana King—known for hits such as “Shy Guy” and her remake of “I Say A Little Prayer”—came out as lesbian on her Facebook page, according to SheWired.com. Part of the post reads, “I AM … WOMAN … MOTHER … AUNT … JAMAICAN … AMERICAN … INTERNATIONAL ARTIST … GODDESS! among other things AND YES!!! … I AM A LESBIAN.” In January, she shared the stage with Celine Dion at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Trelawny.
Also, Frank Ocean—an R&B singer who is part of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, and who has also written songs for Justin Bieber, John Legend and Beyoncé—came out on his blog, saying that his first lover was a guy, the Huffington Post reported. He wrote, in part, “I don’t know what happens now, and that’s alrite. I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore… Thanks to my first love, I’m grateful for you.” Tyler the Creator, a rapper who is also part of Odd Future and who has been accused of homophobia in the past, tweeted his congratulations to Ocean.
Hip-hop legend Russell Simmons posted on Global Grind that he was “profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean, according to the Washington Post.
On his new studio album, Channel Orange—due July 17—Ocean deals with issues of sexuality.