Janelle Monáe is set to perform at the 2020 NYC Pride Island concert on Jun. 26. The Dirty Computer singer took to Twitter to share her excitement about the opportunity.
“Pride means so much to so many of us, and to have the opportunity to share my live performance during Pride has always been a dream,” Monáe said. “Celebrating Pride in NYC is a rite of passage for a queer person. I am grateful for the community it creates and I can’t wait to party with everyone.”
The festival is set to take place from Jun. 26 to Jun. 28 at NYC’s Pier 97. Betty Who, Pussy Riot, Luisa Sonza and DJ duo Coco and Breezy will perform as supporting acts. In previous years, artists like Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Patti Labelle, and Grace Jones have headlined the Pride Island festival.
Monáe, who has come out in the past as pansexual, is a very big supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she revealed that she was queer.
“Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherfucker,” she said.
Though she once identified as bisexual, she has since clarified her comments.
She said, “But then later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am.”
Monáe says that her 2018 Dirty Computer album will help listeners feel liberated if they have dealt with struggling with their sexuality.
She said, “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.”