Khalid comes out as gay after being outed: 'I am not ashamed of my sexuality'
Singer-songwriter Khalid came out as gay after he was outed online, stressing that he is not ashamed of his sexuality.
On his X posts over the weekend, the 26-year-old singer confirmed that he is part of the LGBTQIA+ community by posting a pride flag emoji.
“[rainbow flag emoji]!!! [T]here y'all go. [N]ext topic please lol,” he wrote. When an X user asked for clarification if he was gay, he replied, ”I am! And that’s okay.”
🏳️🌈!!!
there yall go. next topic please lol— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 22, 2024
The Young Dumb & Broke singer stressed that while his sexual orientation is not anyone’s business, he noted that he was not hiding and is not ashamed of his sexuality.
When another X user suggested his confirmation was an open secret by saying "The closet was glass," he replied, “I wasn’t hiding anything! It’s just not any of your business."
“I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality, it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me, love [y’all],” he wrote in a separate post.
thank you!!!! I was never hiding https://t.co/1yhNythnMP
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 23, 2024
This is the first time Khalid has opened up about being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. According to Rolling Stone's report, the person who allegedly outed the singer was X user and recording artist Hugo Almonte, who said in his now-deleted X posts that “one of your favorite gay R&B singers” had once offered him drugs and “tried to set me up and lie that I broke into his house," and then later on posting a photo of himself with Khalid.
In his statement given to the outlet, Almonte said that he intended to “share how he tried to use his power to silence me because I simply ended our relationship,” though he did not name Khalid directly, said the outlet.
Almonte claimed he received death threats, and said “It’s crazy that these people said I was chasing clout, when I was holding onto this for five years, and I finally had enough.”
Khalid is known for his hit tracks Location, Better, 8teen, and Lovely with Billie Eilish. He recently released his third studio album, Sincere last August.
He has also earned awards and nominations for his craft, including at the Grammys, MTV Video Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards. He was also among Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2019.
