Singer Khalid Spotted Getting Close With Lil Nas X, Sparking Rumors About His Sexuality
He's considered an LGBTQ+ ally.
Getty Images Khalid is considered one of the hottest stars in R&B today. His meteoric rise to the top has helped create a message of positivity for LGBTQ+ fans everywhere. Yet, thanks to a post-Grammy hangout sesh, some fans are starting to wonder: is Khalid gay? (And it's fine, either way!)
Born Khalid Donnel Robinson in El Paso, TX, the singer known solely as Khalid seemed to come out of nowhere and become an overnight sensation. But the reality is, his career first started taking off in the summer of 2016, when the popularity of his songs released on SoundCloud earned him a spot on the Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists Chart.
Subsequently, his song "Location" started getting traction, and by the time "Young, Dumb, and Broke" premiered, he was well on his way to superstardom.
Naturally, as his popularity grew, interest in his private life grew along with it. So, let's look at what we know about Khalid's sexuality.
1. Is Khalid gay? Rumors started swirling after he was seen "getting cozy" with Lil Nas X.
Sources close to both Lil Nas X and Khalid have reportedly seen the two "getting cozy" after the Grammys on January 26, 2020. "They were talking, and they were a little too close. Men don't get that close to each other when they talk to each other, unless ... I'm not saying Khalid is gay, he has to live his truth. But the way they were talking, it looked like something's going on there," a source said.
2. While Khalid has never publicly come out, Lil Nas X has.
Khalid has never commented, publicly, on his private life, or his sexuality. However, in a series of tweets released on the last day of Pride Month 2019, Lil Nas X came out as gay. He followed up those tweets with a statement of, "thought I'd made it obvious."
3. Khalid has previously said that the world is "unsafe" for LGBTQIA+ people.
When Khalid was named as part of Time Magazine's 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017, he immediately spoke out against the mistreatment of the LGBTQIA+ folks, and others.
"America today feels like a scary place for many people, people of color, DREAMERS, women, the LGBTQ community. It’s the young people of America, the teens, who have the power to create change," he said.
4. However, Khalid has also identified as an LGBTQIA+ ally.
Shortly after he started his meteoric rise to the top, Khalid teamed up with other mainstream artists — including Logic and Alessia Cara — to spread awareness about suicide.
The song, which was titled "1-800-273-8255," was a reference to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, and encouraged teens — especially non-binary teens — to reach out to the hotline if they felt that they were "in trouble" mentally.
5. Lil Nas X has said that he's become more comfortable with his sexuality since he's "come out."
"I hope my actions are enough to inspire other young LGBTQ children coming up to not be afraid to be themselves, but I feel pressure to be a role model for the community. I have met a lot of great people this year. Relationships are hard because either I end up being too busy or I end up falling for another person. I fall super-easily,” he said.
6. Neither Khalid nor Lil Nas X has commented on the gay rumors.
As of this writing, neither Khlaid nor Lil Nas X have commented about the rumors of their hooking up, and Khalid certainly hasn't said anything about his sexuality. So we don't know for certain if, in fact, Khalid is gay — until we hear it straight from him. However, we will certainly keep you posted of any developments as they come up.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.