Can a gay girl get an amen?
Bella Coco, Staff Writer |
Renee Rapp, an American singer-songwriter and actress recently came out as a lesbian in late January, and many are viewing it as an influential progression for the queer community.
Why is Rapp’s coming out such a huge progression? To put it simply, some queer women, who identify as lesbian can have a difficult time owning their identity and putting it out into the world. Regardless of an individual’s identity, there are more than enough stereotypes against (or within) the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Stereotypes in the lesbian community: harmful or helpful?
For lesbians, the stereotypes–more often than not–are deeply rooted in a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to the use of labels and displaying their identity. Many women refer to themselves as gay or queer rather than a lesbian to avoid the stereotypes that may accompany the label.
Lesbians are often grouped into categories largely based on appearances. Further on, various appearances built up different stereotypes based on how certain lesbians presented themselves. For example, lesbians who present on the more feminine side, often referred to as “fems,” are consistently sexualized by the male gaze, or are seen as invalid by people in and out of the queer community. For years, lesbians have been boxed into an idea that they are masculine presenting, hate all men, and each couple has to have “the man” in a relationship.
However, with Rapp’s recent coming out, many young queer women have taken to social media to praise the singer for her openness on her sexuality.
Rapp, who had previously been out by bisexual, began by referencing her sexuality and the lesbian community during her time on Saturday Night Live (SNL) alongside celebrity host Jacob Elordi, and while promoting Mean Girls (2024).
Rapp, who reprised her role as Regina George from the Broadway hit, Mean Girls: The Musical, additionally contributed to the soundtrack with the hit single, “Not my Fault,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion.
Fans–such as accounts like @justlikeus and @trustworthyeyes–ecstatically took to TikTok when Rapp released a snippet of the song before the release, containing the lyrics, “Get her number, get her name. Get a good thing while you can. Kiss a blonde, kiss a friend. Can a gay girl get an, ‘Amen?’”
Since Rapp’s debut on SNL, the actor has openly spoken about and referenced her sexuality during podcast episodes with Andy Cohen and during her current European leg of her debut album tour, Snow Angel.
Fans have happily pointed out that on the Snow Hard Feelings Tour during the North American leg, Rapp had previously held up the bisexual flag during her performance of her hit song, “Pretty Girls.” Now back on track with her European leg of the same tour Rapp started singing and dancing with the lesbian flag, and goofily throwing in ad-libs that counter her own previously written lyrics about romantic feelings towards men.
Many fans and young queer women have taken to TikTok to congratulate the singer on her journey and state that her openness has validated their feelings about their identity as lesbians and queer women. Additionally, other creators have stated that Rapp’s coming out and embracing her identity is a huge progression for the lesbian community.
