Friday, August 19, 2022

Tevin Campbell on Embracing His Sexuality


Last year R&B singer Tevin Campbell confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in the music industry, that he's gay [click here if you missed that]. 

In a new interview Tevin talks about embracing himself and his sexuality...

From People
Coming of age in the heteronormative space of R&B at that time, "I didn't hide anything about me. I didn't try to act a certain way or anything," says Campbell. But also, he notes of that era in the industry, "You just couldn't be [gay] back then."
Partly due to changes at the record label, Campbell and his music got put on the back burner after his third album, released in 1996, didn't perform well. Around the same time, his personal journey began.
"When I came out to my family and friends [at] about 19 or 20, that was it for me. And then I went on the road of discovering myself. I didn't know who I was," says Campbell, who stepped away from the music industry and credits much of his growth to the six years he spent performing in the Broadway musical Hairspray beginning in 2004.
"Being around people who were like me, LGBTQ+ people that were living normal lives and had partners. I had never seen that," he says. "That was a great time in my life."
Despite years of speculation, Campbell has largely kept his private life private. Earlier this year, he responded to a Twitter user's question about famous singers who are rumored to be gay. He simply tweeted "Tevin is…" adding a rainbow emoji.
"It was a casual thing for me," Campbell says of what many took as a coming out statement. In truth, he adds, "I love my fans, but what they think about my sexuality is of no importance to me."

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

We been knew but I'm glad he's totally free now....Live your life Tevin!

Anonymous said...

Good for him. I've always been a fan.

Anonymous said...

We all knew, but he is correct that he couldn't come out at the time. It would also be confusing singing R & B to women as an openly gay man--that would be difficult to market. His voice is everything, and his early music is timeless!!

Shafrika Lights said...

Quincy Jones turned him out. Damn shame!

Anonymous said...

Be you, Tevin.

Anonymous said...

We knew, Tevin. Do you!

Anonymous said...

Prince turned him out too...trust!

Anon said...

What about those underage boys he tried to solicit???

R in NYC said...

If the industry hadn't played a dirty part how would he have turned out? Quincy Jones is a legendary producer and a pedophile. I guess All B Sure was too old for him to turn out.

Anonymous said...

There's freedom in being allowed to be yourself. Permission begins with self. Congratulations Tevin.

Anonymous said...

@0948 Shut up

Anonymous said...

@1025 Shut up with 0948

Anonymous said...

^ I was going to say the same thing 10:51.

No one has to be turned out when your already gay. If you read the article, he says the play Rent was his open door to seeing ppl that was like him. Stop projecting lies to make it, make sense to you why folks are gay. You can just be born with those feelings without being turned out (raped).

Unknown said...

@11:02

Studies have shown that molestation can trigger gay tendencies. My half brother was sexually assaulted when he was 5 by his 15 year old cousin. We had to take him to therapy and kept him away from younger children to ensure that he didn't act out that behavior on other small children.

Too many ppl under Quincy's tutelage have come out as either bi or gay. I don't believe in coincidences. And there have been rumors of how he's solicited other men for sex. Tevin could've been born gay, or never been sexually assaulted, but, something is definitely off about Quincy, and the young men he takes under his wings.

Anonymous said...

his early music is phenomenal, we all knew so I don't think it would have been a career destroyer

Anonymous said...

Even die-hard fans can be fickle.

Anonymous said...

10:25 you are just wrong. Adding Prince to Michael Jackson allegations is just blasphemy! Anyway, plenty have been turned out, but plenty others are straight up born to be gay, just like you’re born to be straight.

Anonymous said...

Molestation does factor into a lot of people becoming gay. The gay mafia wants to ignore that.

Anonymous said...

The gay mafia as you call it, says you don't know how he became gay. It's not all the time being raped as a child. Some of simps act like you got the answers to everything. If you're not a doctor of any kind keep your dumb mouth shut.

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