Steve Lacy on his struggle coming out as fluid: “Queer is a lot harder to explain than just being a gay dude”

I hid everything until I started doing things. For example, I really love dance, all styles, contemporary, tap, hip-hop. I love modern dance. But growing up, I couldn’t explore that ’cause I never wanted anyone to call me gay before I told them I was anything, gay or whatever, you know? It’d probably be easier if it were just like, ‘I’m g-word,’ but I’m not g-word. It’s fluid, and queer is a lot harder to explain than just being a gay dude.

I was just 18, that’s how I came out, bro. People found out about me kissing boys and girls from me getting canceled [over a deleted tweet on racial dating preferences]. But I needed that because my sh** was too perfect. My little a** was gassed the f**k up. So I needed to be humbled. It was good for me.

I’ve stopped talking to people I was dating because they wanted me to hang out with their friends, but with him [the man he’s been seeing recently], I met all his friends, and I even hosted the afters for him. That’s how I know I’m crushing hard, because I don’t do that sh** for anyone.

I love how my fluidity has just felt through the music. I feel like a lot of people use the gay bug to market their sh**. And I never did.
Grammy-winning singer Steve Lacy, who previously identified as bisexual, speaking to Rolling Stone about his journey coming out as sexually fluid.