We’ve always heralded Raven-Symoné as one of the child stars who actually got it right.
Last night, the 28-year-old actress appeared on Oprah’s Where Are They Now and opened up to Oprah about her sexuality. She acknowledged that she’s in a relationship with a woman (as you may know, she’s been dating ANTM’s AzMarie Livingston for several years), and says that she knew who she was at 12 years old.
Raven also says that she doesn’t identify with labels such as “gay” or “bisexual” — she doesn’t even identify as “African-American.” She says that she prefers ‘a human who loves humans.’ Oprah tried to tell her that she might catch some heat from the Black community for saying that, but still Raven stood by her words.
Check out an excerpt, followed by the clip below.
Raven: I will say that I’m in an amazing relationship with my partner — a woman — and on the other side, my mother, and people in my family…they’ve taught me to keep my personal life to myself as much as possible. So I try my best to hold the fence where I can..but I am proud to be who I am and what I am.
In that topic of dating and love, I knew when I was like 12. I was looking at everything. I don’t need language, I don’t need a categorizing statement for it. I don’t want to be labeled ‘gay.’ I want to be labeled a human who loves human.
I’m tired of being labelled. I’m an American! I’m not an African-American. I’m an American.
Oprah: Oh Lord, girl! Don’t set this Twitter on fire. What did you just say? Stop, stop stop the tape right now!
Raven: I will say this: I don’t know where my roots go to. I don’t know how far back they go. I can’t go on…you know… I don’t know how far back and I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from. But I do know my roots are in Louisiana. I’m an American. And that’s a colorless person — because we are all people. I have lots of things running through my veins.
Oprah: You know you’re gonna get a lot of flack for saying you’re not African-American.
Raven: I don’t label myself. What I mean by that is I’m an American. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian, I connect with Asian, I connect with Black, I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture.
Oprah: You are a melting pot in one body.
Raven: Aren’t we al? Isn’t that what America is supposed to be? That’s what it’s supposed to be. I personally feel that way.
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