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It’s not news that Janelle Monae identifies as PansexualHowever, in a recent Paper Magazine interview, she revealed that she’s known since elementary school.

“I was like eight. I don’t think I actually knew how I identified. I knew that I was attracted to women, girls, men, boys. I knew that,”

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The songstress used her “Dirty Computer” album released in April 2018 to officially let the world know who she really is. Why did the afro-futurism queen wait so long to come out of the closet?

During the sit-down, the Kansas City native talked about seeing a lot of discrimination in her conservative environment which led to her silence.

“It was because of Black men who thought he was trying to come onto them, but he wasn’t. It was their own ignorance and insecurity and fear that led them to lash out. When I saw that…To be a gay Black man, and Black men are like the ‘heads of the households’ and I’m a Black woman, this young kid. I thought, then it’s really over for me.”

Despite the Grammy-nominated singer’s fears that her coming out would be seen as a publicity stunt,  the reaction was quite the opposite. She gained supporters and a few nominations along the way. She is even rumored to be in a relationship with Men In Black actress Tessa Thompson.

TELL US: Why do you think celebrities still fear coming out?

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