Khalid/ Grammy nominee/ coming out/ LGBTQ/ Hugo Almonte/ outing/ X (formerly Twitter)/ support for Khalid/ singer sexuality/ music industry news/ Newslooks/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Singer Khalid has publicly come out as gay, addressing his sexuality after being outed. The seven-time Grammy nominee, 26, shared his thoughts in a series of candid posts on X (formerly Twitter) Friday night, emphasizing that while he wasn’t hiding his identity, his sexuality is “nobody’s business.”
Bullet Points:
- Public Announcement: Khalid, 26, confirmed he is gay in a series of posts on X after being outed online.
- Initial Post: Shared a rainbow emoji with the message: “There y’all go. Next topic please lol.”
- Denies Secrecy: Khalid emphasized he wasn’t hiding his sexuality, saying it’s “nobody’s business.”
- Supportive Fans: Fans praised his bravery, while Khalid expressed gratitude for their love.
- Outing Speculation: Rapper Hugo Almonte is rumored to have outed Khalid with a cryptic post referencing “your favorite gay rappers.”
- Criticism of Outing: Many fans condemned the outing as “horrible” and supported Khalid’s right to privacy.
- Career Success: Khalid’s accolades include seven Grammy nominations and a #1 album, Free Spirit.
- Final Sign-Off: Khalid concluded his posts with “Love y’all, thank y’all, I’m off this.”
Khalid Responds to Outing: ‘Love Y’all, I’m Gay’
Khalid’s Response
In his initial post, Khalid simply shared a rainbow flag emoji with three exclamation marks, adding:
“There y’all go. Next topic please lol.”
“I am! And that’s okay.”
He continued with a heartfelt message:
“I got outted [sic] 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 nobody’s business! But I am okay with me. Love y’all.”
Addressing Criticism
Khalid also pushed back against claims that he had been hiding his sexuality. A commenter remarked that “the closet was glass,” to which Khalid responded:
“I wasn’t hiding anything! It’s just not any of your business.”
He ended his posts with a note of gratitude, writing:
“Aight, love y’all, thank y’all, I’m off this.”
Speculation About Outing
As Khalid opened up, speculation arose about who had outed him. Many fans pointed fingers at rapper and singer Hugo Almonte, 28, who is openly bisexual. Less than 30 minutes before Khalid’s posts, Almonte shared a photo of the two on X alongside a series of cryptic and derogatory remarks about “one of your favorite gay rappers,” implying they had a past relationship.
In one post, Almonte wrote:
“B–ch ass lied and said that I broke into his house cause I didn’t want him.”
Neither Khalid nor his representatives have commented on the allegations.
Support Pours In
Khalid’s announcement was met with overwhelming support online.
“Getting outed is horrible!” one fan wrote. “I’m sorry you had to go through that! We love and support you!”
Another said:
“You’re amazing! To the person who outed you: they’re miserable with themselves. You keep doing you!”
Khalid’s Career
Khalid has achieved remarkable success in the music industry. Named one of Time’s Most Influential People in 2019, his sophomore album, Free Spirit, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and earned platinum certification from the RIAA. The album’s title track peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his earlier singles “Location” and “Young Dumb & Broke” reached #2 and #1, respectively, on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.
