R&B Singer Khalid Comes Out as Gay

Khalid

Khalid has confirmed the rumors.

Hugo D Almonte—a Dominican-American rapper and Khalid’s former lover—outed the Grammy-nominated R&B singer in a series of X posts last month.

Their relationship didn’t end amicably. According to Almonte, their time together was emotionally abusive, and at one point, Khalid threatened to contact the police (BET.com). Whatever his reasons were, Almonte cashed in on his ‘insider knowledge’ about the singer and revealed Khalid’s queerness to his following online.

Khalid could have denied the rumors, especially considering where he sits in LA’s circle of media influence.

Friends, fans, and collaborators have all spoken up in Khalid’s favor. Outing someone is never respectable. On these grounds, devoted followers and music industry giants alike have painted Almonte out as a temporary villain.

Just this week, Almonte has publicly apologized. “I outed someone and that was wrong,” he said (Bet.com).

But until now, Khalid hadn’t opened up about his sexuality. If anything, he’s been quiet about it.

Since 2017, with the release of his debut album “American Teen,” featuring tracks like “Young Dumb & Broke” and “Location”, Khalid has kept his romantic affairs outside public purview. Even in his responses to Almonte’s posts, Khalid has said little about their relationship.

What he has done is use the gossip as an opportunity to be honest, to come out officially, and encourage fans to digest the information quickly and move on.

“Next topic please lol,” Khalid said on X.

Other online threads suggest that he was never hiding. One fan is even referring his 2022 single “Satellite” a gay anthem. And though Khalid has never been explicit about his preferences in song lyrics or interviews, unlike gay singers like Troye Sivan and Lil Nas X, he denies denying the truth.

Hugo D Almonte, Khalid’s ex-lover

But in today’s queer entertainment landscape, if you’re not open about your sexuality, does that mean you’re hiding it? Should it take over five years of Hollywood notoriety before your romantic veil is lifted? Even now, in a media era post-Call Me by Your Name, post-Ricky Martin, and post-the Marriage Equality Act, is it still better for business to stay quiet about being gay?

Historically, absolutely. For almost a century, queer actors, singers, and entertainment executives have kept their relationships secret to ensure popularity, castability, and career longevity. For decades, queers even married ‘beards’ to keep up the illusion of the American dream on the red carpet.

In today’s climate, it depends. It’s almost 2025, and we’re seeing more and more gay relationships in mainstream films, more singers entering stardom openly queer and openly singing about it. The LGBTQ+ ways of life have been ingrained into the cultural fabric of Los Angeles, New York City, Mexico City, and urban enclaves around the free world. Gay meccas like West Hollywood, the Lower East Side, and Zona Rosa are so popular that even straight women and their boyfriends have joined the hoopla. For me, I’ve found that the more authentic I am, the gayer I get, the more opportunities come my way.

It’s a different story in the Latino and Black communities, for people of color at large, and for anyone really (white queers included) who grows up without queer role models, in towns far from any celebration of queer identity, in places that have old-school attitudes about gay people and how they ought to be treated.

Since being outed, Khalid has chose to be open and honest, without getting too much into the details. Maybe, in time, his lyrics will reflect his orientation. For now, he’s turning a page.

“I got outed and the world still continues to turn,” he posted on X. “Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me. love yall.”