Wanda Sykes Comes Out The Closet Declares She Is A Lesbian

Now I know I am late but I just found out that African American comedian Wanda Sykes has come out of the closet declaring she is a lesbian. I was just surfing the internet checking out some hip hop message boards and most of the comments were “no surprise”, “so what” or “no big deal” that Wanda Sykes is a lesbian. I know this will sound controversial but I think the reason some black people don’t care about Wanda Sykes coming out is because she is not viewed as a threat.

Now can you imagine an A list gorgeous black actress or handsome A list black male actor coming out? I mean this would shock the world wouldn’t it? Now Wanda Sykes is a solid entertainer but she’s just not that big a star.

 Wanda decided to come out of the closet after the controversy over proposition 8 in the state of California. I doubt Wanda Sykes coming out will capture the black community’s attention because she just isn’t that big a star. I think when a really famous black actress or black male actor comes out then black people will really pay attention.

 I am surprised that Wanda is a lesbian I did not know. I still think it is good that Wanda decided to come out because there are so few black entertainers declaring their true sexual orientation. There is definitely homophobia in the black community this is true. I think pop culture is very important even though some people try to pretend that they don’t care about pop culture.

 I believe more black gay and lesbian public figures should come out of the closet.  The more famous people of colour coming out perhaps the image of homosexuality will change. The public image of homosexuality is still a Eurocentric one and more famous black stars need to come out to remind the public anyone can be gay or lesbian regardless of of their racial background. 

I don’t think Wanda’s declaration will hurt her career though since she’s not an A list star anyway. Wanda currently has a supporting role on the CBS sitcom “The New Adventures Of Old Christine”.

However, I still will the black audience be accepting of Wanda now? Since Wanda is a woman I think it is easier for female stars to come out then male stars. I just sense the public has an indifferent attitude towards lesbianism. I am not suggesting that the public is more  accepting of lesbianism. My perspective is  society still has a stronger fear of male homosexuality.