by Johnny Golightly
Today, Janet Jackson released her U.S tour dates for the "Janet Jackson Number Ones, Up Close and Personal" Tour. This release brought back memories of some of her other recent releases--movies like "Why Did I Get Married Too?" and "For Colored Girls".
We all remember that there's one rule: no rules. One love: free xone. Janet's Velvet Rope classic holds new meaning after the latest rounds of Janet Jackson/Tyler Perry collaborations.
"Free Xone" was a liberating song that addressed the freedom to love whoever you wanted to love--heterosexually, homosexually, bisexually, pansexually. Now I'm far too young to comment on when exactly Janet Jackson became a gay icon, but there is no denying she is one.
Janet has followed suit to those before and after her, grouped with legends like Diana, Cher, Babs (Barbra Streisand), Madonna, Beyonce, Gaga and all the other one-name wonders. It seems only tradition that when a female icon gains a large gay male following, we shorten her to a one-name moniker. My experiences tell me it is out of honor that her name is shortened because she doesn't need her full name--you know her by her presence. Not to mention the fact that Janet spoke to queer people of color in a contemporary moment where the face of gay men is a white face. She allowed all queer people of color to have at least one Black icon in a mainstream industry consumed by white music artists. Janet was the generation's chosen one, with Diana before her and Beyonce after her.
Now, let's not even front. We all know Janet can't act. From "Good Times" right on through "Poetic Justice" all the way to "For Colored Girls", Janet has been giving us the same persona highlighting her acting capabilities. But we all still go out and support Janet, cause we want to see her. I mean, we didn't all line up to go see "The Hand that Rocks the.." err, "Obsessed" because we thought it was gonna win an Oscar. We wanted to see Bey. That's what a lot of gay fans do--we go to support our artists, because we admire their aesthetic--physical and artistic. This same logic informs a lot of gay men's decision to see the latest Janet movie.
