Janelle Monáe came out as nonbinary in a recent interview, a chef competition series picked its first queer winner, and Green Arrow's son is confirmed to be asexual.
Janelle Monáe Comes Out as Nonbinary
Singer and actress Janelle Monáe came out as nonbinary in an interview on “Red Table Talk” with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield Norris.
"I'm nonbinary, so I just don't see myself as a woman, solely," Monáe said. "I feel all of my energy. I feel like God is so much bigger than the 'he' or the 'she.' And if I am from God, I am everything … But I will always, always stand with women. I will always stand with Black women.”
Monáe previously came out as pansexual in 2018 but had more time to discover their sexuality.
Monáe said they waited until they had worked everything out and discussed it with their family since they’re religious.
"My whole family is church ... church, church," they explained. "So I was just like 'What does it mean to go against your whole family on this thing?' But I was ready! I was like, ‘if they don't love me, don't call me asking for no money. You will not get my LGBTQIA+ money.’ How about that?"
‘Tournament of Champions’ Crowns Queer Champ
Tiffani Faison. Credit: Mike Diskin, Wikimedia Commons.
Food Network brought back the chef competition series “Tournament of Champions” for the third season. In the latest season, they crowned the first queer winner Tiffani Faison.
Faison had previously competed on “Top Chef” which has an extensive history of LGBT chefs but this win was especially special for the chef.
“I learned more about myself with every battle and I learned more about how deeply talented the other warriors in this tournament are. Every week is a test that requires your whole heart to show up and then takes your breath away,” she said.
Faison took home $100,000 making it the largest cash prize in Food Network history.
“Winning has been one of the most affirming and rewarding experiences of my life. It is the literal culmination of the work, commitment, and dedication I’ve invested in my career. I’m so deeply grateful for this opportunity. This is magic.”
Green Arrow’s Son Revealed to be Asexual
Connor Hawke. Credit: DC Comics.
Connor Hawke, son of Green Arrow, came out as asexual in “Think of Me,” an eight-page story by Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic.
The character’s sexuality has been in question since his creation in 1994 as Hawke repeatedly made his lack of sexual interest clear. Fans speculated that it could be because of his Monk upbringing but others thought it was due to his sexuality.
To make the story as accurate as possible, the entire writing team is asexual.
“It was that extra little bit of help, having the entire team be asexual,” Brandt told Them. “It really felt like it was a personal story for all of us on some level.”
This story will be a part of this year’s DC Pride anthology and will officially be released on May 31.
Each week ‘Beyond the G’ looks at news featuring the many letters of our LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
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