Gay Twitter Blasts ‘Billboard’ For Calling Ariana Grande The Gay Icon Of Her Generation
When one talks about Ariana Grande, they usually talk about her beautiful voice and charisma. The words “LGBT icon” usually don’t describe the singer, and it’s a fact that some in the LGBT community despise her. This became apparent in 2015 when the Inquisitr reported that many in the LGBT community bashed Ariana Grande for being the choice for a pride concert to celebrate the Supreme Court making gay marriage legal nationwide.
To be fair, many consider the LGBT vitriol towards Grande unfair. After all, Ariana has a gay brother, Frankie. Through her songs and performances, she has been a supporter of equal rights. It’s also true that many female pop stars use the LGBT community as a marketing group. The anger stems from the fact that just one decade ago, none of these female stars would even come close to thinking about vocally supporting the LGBT community; it would hurt their careers.
After Grande performed at the LGBT event in 2015, she was lambasted on Twitter. However, the bashing of Ariana Grande by the LGBT community hit full circle this past week for something that wasn’t really her fault. In a possible clickbait article, Billboard crowned Grande as the “gay icon of her generation.”
“Several of her peers are fierce allies in their own right, but Ariana Grande’s advocacy is unmatched. While her catalog is filled with gay staples — try to spend a night out in Hell’s Kitchen or WeHo without hearing “Into You” — her support for the LGBTQ community extends beyond the dance floor.”
Many in the comments section blasted the article.
“How did this get past the 1st draft of mind – mapping? Let alone editing?” asked Wandile Nzuza.
“She’s um, straight. I get that she’s amazing and all but don’t you think a gay icon should be someone LGBTQ+ people can relate to?” questioned Aviyde.
Soon, Gay Twitter went into a frenzy.
I love Ariana Grande but I'm not sure how I feel about her being named the gay icon of our generation
— Jeremy Fickle (@JeremyFickle) July 22, 2017
So Ariana Grande is a gay icon. What's next? Rachel Dolezal is a black icon?
— sreep (@spanmail19) July 21, 2017
Some questioned those who said Ariana Grande can’t be a gay icon since she’s straight. However, others noted that Madonna, Cher, Britney Spears, and Barbra Streisand are huge gay icons despite being straight. However, people like Madonna and Streisand were active in promoting LGBT rights at a time when it wasn’t considered the right thing to do, so perhaps they earned their titles.
In the past, a gay icon has always been defined as somebody who was embraced by the LGBT community. However, some feel that should be changed. What do you think? Should Ariana Grande be crowned as the LGBT icon of this generation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Featured Image by Dave Hogan/Getty Images]
