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Just a reminder Cher is an ally — with a Sapphic past
She really has done it all, hasn't she?
Cher is a total icon, both in and out of the LGBTQ+ community, and for a brief time, we may have even been able to land her on our team.
Back in 2002, prior to her son Chaz’s transition when he was still known as Chastity, Cher discussed Chastity coming out as a lesbian at the time with Out Magazine. Back then, she was adapting to Chas’s more masculine appearance, which she noted at the time was more of a “gender issue” rather than a gay one.
When asked how Chastity would have responded should Cher be gay, she said, “Chas would have been more open and compassionate than I was. She’s very understanding, and she’s very able to accept people exactly the way they are.”
An aside happens next, where the author, Judy Wieder, details a story years prior where Chastity called her in the middle of the night and said, “I can’t believe it. Mom just told me she once had an affair with a woman when she was younger. This is amazing!”
Cher, for her part, went on to say she wasn’t sure if sexuality was fluid or fixed, nor if it was any different for women rather than men.
“The gay people that I’ve known in my life — and I’ve known a lot — seem to think that there is no other way for them, that’s who they are, like having brown eyes or whatever.”
She also said when she was in Catholic school, “all the girls had crushes on other girls, you know? We had this kind of hero worship of the older girls. And I don’t know if it was sexual, but it was definitely some sort of a crush.”
The time played a small part in her rumored lesbian affair, because “the '60s were so open” and Cher considered herself the freest person in her family at the time.
After admitting she thought her mother’s lesbian friends were the coolest among the bunch, she said that after she experimented, she just knew it wasn’t for her.
“I think that at some point you know who you are,” she said. “It comes to you what you want to do; it comes to you what you want to be and what you like and what you don’t. And maybe it was because I didn’t have any feeling of it being positive or negative.”
Even though she decided being gay wasn’t her jam, we’re so stoked to have Cher as part of our staunch and unwavering support team, and we’re also grateful for everything Chaz has done for the trans community, as well.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
