Queen Latifah Has A Secret

In this week NYT Magazine, Queen Latifah talks about her new movie, The Secret Life of Bees, among other things.

In discussing her childhood, she says, "“I know people who are twice as creative as I am, twice as smart, but they didn’t do anything because they feared going into a room and opening their mouths. My parents told me to truly accomplish things in my life, there would be times I would have to stand alone. It may be scary, but that’s what it requires. So the times I had to stand alone, I got it. I understood where I was coming from, so hopefully, everybody else would get it eventually.”

As inspiring as this might be, this desire to stand up for oneself loses some of its momentum when she refuses to discuss her sexuality. “I don’t have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life. You don’t get that part of me. Sorry . . . I don’t feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don’t care if people think I’m gay or not. Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway.”

Because she won't.