Exposé: Luther Vandross was gay

[dababe]

Vandross' sad song

Eight months after his death, singer Luther Vandross' friends are helping him out of the closet.

"He was way 'in,'" recalls comic Bruce Vilanch. "He said to me, 'No one knows I'm in the life.' … He had very few sexual contacts."
"A famously open gay singer-songwriter [told me] Luther was dying to have a boyfriend," columnist Michael Musto recalls in Out magazine.
While some Vandross fans may be appalled by the exposé, Michael Roberson, director of gay group People of Color in Crisis, argues, "Clearly, a lot of black gay performers feel they can't come out. Yet it would be important, particularly to black, gay, young people, to see black gay role models."

Meanwhile, long-closeted crooner Johnny Mathis is speaking frankly about his heartache.
"I've been a romantic all my life, but as for having tangible relationships, I've never had that," he tells Britain's Daily Express. "I get a little alone at times."
Mathis says that after word spread that he was gay, he became a target for homophobic bigots. "I've had a few death threats from the Southern states," he says. "So 20 years ago, I decided to perform without publicizing the concerts with interviews. I'd had enough exposure and was concerned about what came with it."

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/sto...p-337685c.html

[AKAMissy]

Why now? I don't understand why they feel the need to confess Luther Vandross' secrets or private life. Clearly, if he wanted people to know he would have told them. Just seems like a way to create a scandal...whatever. Gay or not, I love his music.

[darksithbunny]

WTF? Does it matter NOW anyways? Did he say he wanted people to know this about him? Heard of the term RIP? They need to let the man do that.

[CherryDarling]

Luther was the man...I miss his voice.

[Sojiita]

I think it has to do with the lack of black gay role models thing. Although ideally the best thing to do would be to get more black gay celebs to come out openly on their own while they are alive. It must be hell to be a young gay black man in the US right now.

[Vixen541]

Originally Posted by prnjcq7

Luther was the man...I miss his voice.

ditto. that song dance with my father or whatever the title is.... makes me tear up every time.

and who cares if he was gay? why bring something like this up after his death

[A*O]

Originally Posted by Sojiita

I think it has to do with the lack of black gay role models thing. Although ideally the best thing to do would be to get more black gay celebs to come out openly on their own while they are alive. It must be hell to be a young gay black man in the US right now.

Yeah, come on Al, dump Star and twinkle for the 'hood bro.

[HWBL]

Why "out" him officially? Wasn't it already a well known public secret that he was gay? If he'd wanted people to know, he'd have come out himself. It's Rock Hudson all over again.

[A*O]

But really, WHO CARES?!?!? Isn't it rather sad that even in this 'enlightened' day and age people still get some kind of prurient thrill from discovering that someone is gay.

[dakodas]

Is anyone's gaydar so on the blink that you didn't know? He wasn't exactly BUTCH!

[LynnieD]

Originally Posted by dakodas

Is anyone's gaydar so on the blink that you didn't know? He wasn't exactly BUTCH!

Yea right!! Not exactly a shocker here right??? I mean, come on....

[A*O]

My gaydar has never been terribly reliable - as a few excruciatingly embarrassing 'dates' have proved in the past.

[LynnieD]

Originally Posted by A*O

My gaydar has never been terribly reliable - as a few excruciatingly embarrassing 'dates' have proved in the past.

WORD!!

[dakodas]

Originally Posted by A*O

My gaydar has never been terribly reliable - as a few excruciatingly embarrassing 'dates' have proved in the past.

I was a adolescent faghag so mine is rather good. I diagnosed a few guys before they admitted it themselves.

[A*O]

And how did you perform this 'diagnosis' chica?