In a statement, Raven Symone told E! News :
"I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."
Before making an official statement, Symone had posted a cryptic message via her Twitter that read:
It's a safe assumption that the 27-year-old actress is referring to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn The Defense of Marriage Act back in June, which will allow same same-sex marriages to be recognized by the Federal government -- and that just this week Minnesota and Rhode Island became the latest states to legalize same sex marriage.
In the past, Symone has been much more private about her personal life. The last time the Internet lit up with rumors that she was gay came after The National Inquirer published a story about her and America'a Next Top Model contestant AzMarie Livingston being in an exclusive relationship. After the talk became too much, the former Disney star tweeted:
"My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I'm datings to know. I'm not one for a public display of my life."
It's no wonder why she choose so long to come out, when you look at the history of the Black community. Our acceptance of same-sex relationships trails far behind our Caucasian counterparts and it's evident when one looks at the number of African-American celebrities who have come out in comparison.
Wanda Sykes, Don Lemon, Jason Collins and Raven Symone are the only high-profile Black celebrities who have owned their sexuality. I would include singer Frank Ocean, but he's never officially came out, and since his open letter, has declined to discuss his sexuality any further.
With the our communities conservative views, it can be a career killer for any Black celebrity to come out as homosexual. “With those attitudes there is just no way to tell how revealing your sexual preferences will impact your career from the fan side or the business side. As a black performer struggling to work, you cannot afford to take that chance,” says black film historian and NYU film professor Donald Bogle.
Symone's "coming out" has already made an impact as a fellow celebrity, Queen Latifah, whose also been plagued with rumors of her being a lesbian--gives her credit for being so courageous.
“What Raven did will no doubt help plenty of kids being bullied because they’re gay feel better about themselves,” says the director. “But what’s sad is though revealing who you love is now easier to discuss, race is becoming harder to discuss. For black people, as long as race is still a major problem, other issues will come in second place no matter who comes out next.”
[THE DAILY BEAST]