Will It Ever Be Safe For A Black R&B Star To Come Out?

That's the question TheLoop21 writer David Dennis is asking following the well publicized false coming out of former B2K bandmate Omarion as bisexual last weekend via a fake press release.

Here is the fake statement: "I pride myself in being an honest, God Fearing, respectful man. I have kept my personal life private and wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, other's are interested in profiting from my anguish; so before they can do that, I will clarify things. I am not at all what certain ex-band members are trying to paint me as, I am however a respectable, mature, proud, bisexual man.

Of course it wasn't long before Omarion took to Twitter to deny the claim:

From The Loop 21:

This press release (which Omarion later denied) came after former B2K band mate Raz-B – who has only been relevant in the African-American community and gossip sites for his insistence on giving details about his alleged molestation at the hands of former B2K manager Chris Stokes - accused Omarion of being homosexual. Stop me if this all sounds like high school.

Meanwhile, in White celebrity news, Elton John and his husband welcomed the birth of their first son via a surrogate mother recently. Clay Aiken and his adopted son are doing well. And Ellen DeGeneres still hosts a talk show every day. She’s still gay.

Of the hundreds of mainstream African-American artists, there isn’t a single one that has professed his or her homosexuality (though it's worth noting fringe artists Donnie and Rahsaan Patterson for their acts of bravery). The same can be said for sports, where there aren’t any African-American athletes in any major sport who have come out of the closet. The sole exception that comes to mind, John Amaechi, waited until retirement to announce his sexuality. The statistics just don’t add up. This will continue to be the case until there is some sort of dialogue and understanding about homophobia in the African-American community.

I tweeted my thoughts on the Omarion press release and the subsequent reaction from black fans.