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Frank Ocean (an acclaimed R&B/hip-hop artist) announces that he's bisexual

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S

Suairyu

Banned
The "and?" crowd:

You need famous/prominent people to announce they are of [human subset] and be visual about it to normalise [human subset].

Having people in the public eye come out as homosexual/bisexual/transsexual/xenomorph is a good thing, and will continue to be a good thing until non-heterosexuality is accepted as "normal" behaviour.

This isn't rocket science.
 
F

filler

Banned
Suairyu said:
The "and?" crowd:

You need famous/prominent people to announce they are of [human subset] and be visual about it to normalise [human subset].

Having people in the public eye come out as homosexual/bisexual/transsexual/xenomorph is a good thing, and will continue to be a good thing until non-heterosexuality is accepted as "normal" behaviour.

This isn't rocket science.
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for Sam Cassell to come out about that one.
 
W

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Suairyu said:
The "and?" crowd:

You need famous/prominent people to announce they are of [human subset] and be visual about it to normalise [human subset].

Having people in the public eye come out as homosexual/bisexual/transsexual/xenomorph is a good thing, and will continue to be a good thing until non-heterosexuality is accepted as "normal" behaviour.

This isn't rocket science.
Click to expand...

It also isn't rocket science in understanding that people who say "and" simply don't care about any of that and already have it internally normalized. Don't chastise people for already being at a place you want everybody to be at.
 
G

Galang

Banned
NawidA said:
People in this thread failing to realize how huge and brave this is.
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Yeah I don't get it.

Homosexuality is still not widely accepted. I don't see how anyone can say this isn't a brave and respectable act. Coming out is really hard to do, especially when you're in the public eye. He may not be a huge artist, but that's irrelevant.

Society still has a long way to go, saying who cares is actually ignorant. Someone may not care about his sexuality, but it is still encouraging to see more people being vocal about their sexuality. I'm sure many people who are in the closet and are fans of Frank Ocean just felt a little better. This may not of touched millions of people, but I'm sure it has helped a few. :)
 
C

cutmeamango

Banned
Tyler, The Creator‏@fucktyler

My Big Brother Finally Fucking Did That. Proud Of That Nigga Cause I Know That Shit Is Difficult Or Whatever. Anyway. Im A Toilet.
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Good for him, I like his voice.
 
B

Beezy

Member
PhoenixDark said:
He's doing it big for chocolate brothers around the globe so I can't hate. Very brave move on his part, especially in the hip hop/r&b community. His fan base is already quite diverse so he'll be fine

Do your thing Frankie. You can smash all the dime piece dudes you want as long as the music stays good
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You can come out now too, PD. We won't mind.
 
B

Bladenic

Member
LOL at that Tyler the Creator tweet.

"That Shit is Difficult, or Whatever"

Probably the most unsupportive supportive thing to say.

Also doesn't he have an album coming out in a few weeks? Obviously it's not bound to be a big seller since I (and I presume many others) had no clue who he was. However, I still wonder if what sales the album were to muster are going to be impacted in any way. There's really not way to tell unfortunately.
 
M

Meier

Member
Seeing him in about two weeks. Can't wait! Definitely takes some stones to come out in his field so props to him.
 
K

Kreed

Member
blame space said:
decided to check out the GAF-Hop thread



1. chi chi man 268 up, 43 down
"chi chi" is patois for termite (pest) and is a derogotary term for a homo-sexual. i.e. a gay person is as low as a termite

nice.
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So you saw a post in another thread, and instead of confronting the poster who wrote the post in the original thread it came from, you quote it in another thread he hasn't posted in yet?
 
I

Imm0rt4l

Member
Kreed said:
So you saw a post in another thread, and instead of confronting the poster who wrote the post in the original thread it came from, you quote it in another thread he hasn't posted in yet?
Click to expand...

That is pretty suspect.


Wanna be startin somethin...
 
N

Nibel

Member
Lhexh said:
How about The Wkend, He sounds better to me.
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TheWeeknd has a very good and distinctive style; great sound.

But I think that Frank is the better singer. And his lyrics have way mire depth in my opinion.

Love 'em both though
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
Jo Shishido's Cheeks said:
Why is there backlash from Odd Future fans when Syd is a lesbian?
Is that somehow different?
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'Because lesbian sex is hot and men on men is gross, hurr hurr hurr"

That isn't all the fans though, just the younger and much more immature fans that take the lyrics and image at face value.
 
V

ViewtifulJC

Banned
Imm0rt4l said:
Nah....

01106814_.jpg


Tevin Campbell came out in the 90's. Doesn't have a career now though, not sure why he stopped or if it had to do with his coming out.
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In September 1999, Campbell was arrested after soliciting a lewd act from an undercover police officer during a sting operation in Van Nuys, California. The sting operation was reportedly conducted in an area where there had been numerous complaints from the public about cruising and solicitation. According to police reports, Campbell was also in possession of a small amount of marijuana at the time of his arrest.[12]

Campbell pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor of solicitation, and as a result was ordered to pay $1080.50 in fines, attend meetings of Narcotics Anonymous and participate in a court-sanctioned AIDS awareness class. He returned to court in February 2000 to provide proof that he had completed the requirements of his sentence.[13]

And that was pretty much the end of him.

We'll always have the Goofy movie, though
 
K

Kusagari

Member
This honestly is a far bigger thing than people are acting like.

While he is an R&B singer, Frank has almost universally been linked only with hip hop artists/figures and has basically been a part of the hip hop community.

Now name an even remotely successful artist in that community who has come out. You'll be looking forever.

It's going to force some hip hop artists to have to confront it head on.
 
M

Meatpuppet

Member
ViewtifulJC said:
In September 1999, Campbell was arrested after soliciting a lewd act from an undercover police officer during a sting operation in Van Nuys, California. The sting operation was reportedly conducted in an area where there had been numerous complaints from the public about cruising and solicitation. According to police reports, Campbell was also in possession of a small amount of marijuana at the time of his arrest.[12]

Campbell pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor of solicitation, and as a result was ordered to pay $1080.50 in fines, attend meetings of Narcotics Anonymous and participate in a court-sanctioned AIDS awareness class. He returned to court in February 2000 to provide proof that he had completed the requirements of his sentence.[13]

And that was pretty much the end of him.

We'll always have the Goofy movie, though
Click to expand...

Love that track/film
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Didn't Tevin Campbell try to make his first name an acronym for a while? T.E.V.I.N.

What the hell did it stand for? Or am I imagining all of this?
 
M

Mangotron

Member
Suairyu said:
Having people in the public eye come out as homosexual/bisexual/transsexual/xenomorph is a good thing, and will continue to be a good thing until non-heterosexuality is accepted as "normal" behaviour.

This isn't rocket science.
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for someone to come out as one of these.

tryD1.jpg
 
R

RJT

Member
Loves Nostalgia, Ultra and can't wait for his album. I really hope this doesn't turn against him.

Russel Simmons reaction, wich I thought was cool:

Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are.  How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?

I am profoundly moved by the courage and honesty of Frank Ocean.  Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear. These types of secrets should not matter anymore, but we know they do, and because of that I decided to write this short statement of support for one of the greatest new artists we have.  

His gifts are undeniable.  His talent, enormous.  His bravery, incredible.  His actions this morning will uplift our consciousness and allow us to become better people.  Every single one of us is born with peace and tranquility in our heart.  Frank just found his.

Frank, we thank you.  We support you.  We love you.        

-Russell Simmons
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The thread took a surprising turn, though...
 
C

computers putin'

Member
blame space said:
IT'S OFFICIAL . . . FRANK OCEAN ADMITS TO BEING A DOWNLOW BROTHER!! HE CLAIMS THAT HE 'FELL IN LOVE' WITH A DUDE!! (IS HE TALKING ABOUT A RAPPER WE KNOW???)
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Hilarious, I don't even have to go to the site to know that you got this from mediatakeout.com. Besides the absurdity of the headline, the all caps and profuse use of exclamation points are a dead giveaway.
 
M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Shit, every single time this guy's name pops up, I hear 'Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car' in my head.
 
A

Akainu

Member
Off topic: Man I'm so out of tune with whats new. I'm 25 and all I listen to is classic rock and old music.
 
B

Bladenic

Member
Eric Walton said:
I guess I coupled his tone with the comment about sales, and thought he was predicting a bomb. it'll do well enough.
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Um well I didn't mean to have a "tone" or anything. And you're right I know nothing about either of them and looking at it again Tyler was kidding and plus I know now they've been friends for a while.

But about the album... is it even being promoted? Not sure what the measure is here for a successful debut, but this ain't gonna be setting the charts on fire or anything.

I digress, getting off-topic anyway (or maybe not since we are talking about Frank Ocean still).
 
C

Curtisaur

Forum Landmine
I don't know why anybody gives a good goddamn about anyone's sexuality. He makes music. Music that you either like or you don't like. The end. And fuck him too for feeling like he had to announce it. Who gives a shit, shut the fuck up and keep making good songs.
 
M

Magicpaint

Member
Very brave of him and I applaud it. Also him coming out is significant; can't understand why people are trying to trivialise it. But whatever, can't wait for the album.
 
R

RJT

Member
Pegasoos said:
I don't know why anybody gives a good goddamn about anyone's sexuality. He makes music. Music that you either like or you don't like. The end. And fuck him too for feeling like he had to announce it. Who gives a shit, shut the fuck up and keep making good songs.
Click to expand...

Well, he sort of has to announce it since he's dropping an album with love songs about "him".
 
M

Mystic Theurge

Member
Pegasoos said:
I don't know why anybody gives a good goddamn about anyone's sexuality. He makes music. Music that you either like or you don't like. The end. And fuck him too for feeling like he had to announce it. Who gives a shit, shut the fuck up and keep making good songs.
Click to expand...

A lot of people give a shit.

This is not a post-homophobia world.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Pegasoos said:
I don't know why anybody gives a good goddamn about anyone's sexuality. He makes music. Music that you either like or you don't like. The end. And fuck him too for feeling like he had to announce it. Who gives a shit, shut the fuck up and keep making good songs.
Click to expand...

I'm happy he 'announced it'. Or that he opened up about it. A lot of young gay/bi people give a shit.

Anyway, couple of articles on the album and this news have hit the NY Times and LA Times. All part of a well-oiled publicity machine I'm sure, but hey.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...cean-sexuality-music-20120704,0,5628929.story

The straightforward letter – which can be read in its entirety here – is undoubtedly the glass ceiling moment for music. Especially black music, which has long been in desperate need of a voice like Ocean’s to break the layers of homophobia. There are plenty of reasons this moment has so much weight. Too many for any single article to explore.

Ocean has never talked at length about his personal life, leaving his music and its often-complex narratives to drive the conversation. But in a culture where the gossip increasingly and frustratingly outweighs the music, Ocean’s casual and candid approach to addressing his personal life, and revealing his personal truth of having loved a man, will be seen as groundbreaking.

There was no cover story, no anonymous sources or PR-orchestrated announcement (though this is not to demean those celebrities who have taken those approaches to this issue). Sure this will be seen as his "coming out" but it should be noted he doesn't use the word "gay" or "bisexual," and his letter isn't about caving to the pressures of the labels we are so quick to pass out.
Click to expand...

“This will take about an hour of your life,” he said before focusing on the control board and bobbing his head to the album, a stellar kaleidoscope of atmospheric beats, lush harmonies and those complex narratives he's known for.

“It’s a bad religion, to be in love with someone who can never love you,” he muses over an organ on “Bad Religion,” one of the track’s catching attention along with the Andre 3000-assisted “Pink Matter” and the album’s wrenching closer “Forrest Gump,” where he sings of a boy he once knew.

"You're running on my mind, boy," he offers on the track.

The reaction to Ocean’s revelation is still uncertain –- although any negativity can be drowned out by the album’s raw beauty and masterful craftsmanship. The outpouring of tweets supporting Ocean has made it clear that he's going to get a fair amount of love from fans and the industry, with some already touting him as a hero and a trailblazer. Being someone of his stature will place a heavy burden on his shoulders as being the "first," but this moment was so very necessary.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/arts/music/frank-oceans-channel-orange.html?pagewanted=all
 
T

thestopsign

Member
Chris25 said:
Um well I didn't mean to have a "tone" or anything. And you're right I know nothing about either of them and looking at it again Tyler was kidding and plus I know now they've been friends for a while.

But about the album... is it even being promoted? Not sure what the measure is here for a successful debut, but this ain't gonna be setting the charts on fire or anything.

I digress, getting off-topic anyway (or maybe not since we are talking about Frank Ocean still).
Click to expand...

Odd Future is pretty damn popular and he is a major component of that group. I'd say this album will do very well for itself.
 
I

INPAQ

Neo Member
idwl said:
is he the first black male to come out ?
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Well let's not forget the dope lead singer of Bloc Party (Kele Okereke) fully came out just a few years ago..

Kele%20Okereke%201.jpg


But considering Mr. Ocean is revealing his fluid sexuality within one of the most hostile/homophobic genres of music (the HipHop/RnB industry), he is undeniably swimming in some uncharted waters. Yet, the risk this dude is taking diving into these dangers, is so worthy of the greater impact this might have on the entire community. Being a black gay male myself, who was practically raised on 80s/90s Rap and the sounds of Soul music, I've waited such a long time for this moment. To have such a true artist, musician, talent, spirit to finally be a voice for the countless who stay silent in fear within this industry. And even though this could of easily been a coming out party for John Legend, Miguel, Ne-Yo, Usher or the countless others who potentially may be part of the rainbow fam, I'm not sure if anyone could of presented this powerful revelation as beautifully as FrankyO. Truly something to be proud of on this 4th Of July.
 
C

Cudder

Member
thestopsign said:
Odd Future is pretty damn popular and he is a major component of that group. I'd say this album will do very well for itself.
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Even Odd Future albums sales are low. And you never see Frank with any of them hardly, be it out in public or at shows/interviews.
 
M

MyAbsolution

Member
Good for him. Its no secret that in a lot of the world... its harder for black people to come outta the closet.

Reading his story was kind of sad. Reminds me of my first and only love. Have someone not admit their true feelings and just ignore it for years.
 
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