Is Tyler, the Creator, gay? What you need to know about his sexuality
Tyler, the Creator, has always been viewed as a paradox in the hip-hop industry when it comes to his relationship with the LGBTQ+ community. He began his career with unapologetic gay slurs but later loosened up, even releasing an apology song, Sorry Not Sorry. Read on to uncover unknown facts about Tyler, the Creator's sexual identity.
Source: Getty Images
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Tyler, the Creator's approach to his sexuality has been as unique as his music: unapologetic and always leaving room for interpretation. For a long time, being gay or bi was a no-go zone for artists in the hip-hop industry, but the environment has been changing after the emergence of openly gay rappers like Lil Nas X.
Tyler, the Creator profile summary
| Full birth name | Tyler Gregory Okonma |
| Other names | Tyler Haley, DJ Stank Daddy, Bunnyhop, Wolf Haley |
| Date of birth | March 6, 1991 |
| Age | 33 years old in 2024 |
| Birth sign | Pisces |
| Place of birth | Hawthorne, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Current residence | Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed Afro-American and white Canadian |
| Parents | Igbo father from Nigeria, Afro-American and white Canadian mother |
| Religion | Atheist |
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m/188 cm) |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual orientation | Queer |
| Profession | Rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, designer, actor |
| Genre | Alternative hip-hop, jazz rap, neo-soul |
| Band | Odd Future |
| Years active | 2007 to date |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter)Facebook |
Is Tyler, the Creator, really gay?
The 'Earfquake' hitmaker has not expressly said if he is gay or queer, but he has touched on the subject multiple times in his songs and interviews. He labelled his sexuality a grey area in his interview with Fantastic Man, saying,
It's still such a grey area with people, which is cool with me. Even though I'm considered loud and out there, I'm private, which is a weird dichotomy. The juxtaposition of loud and quiet is weird.
While talking to Know Wave on the Koopz Tunes show in 2017, he revealed he had his first boyfriend as a teenager.
I had a boyfriend when I was 15 in - Hawthorne...If that's not open-minded, I don't know what is.
Tyler, the Creator's bisexuality also comes into play because he has expressed admiration for women in the past. In 2019, he told GQ while appearing on the publication's cover,
I like girls—I just end up (with) their brother every time.
Source: Original
Tyler, the Creator, was previously labelled a homophobe
The rapper's debut album, Goblin (2011), and his 2009 mixtape, 'B-stard', had a lot of homophobic expressions that stirred reactions in the LGBTQ community. Tyler denied hating gay people in a June 2011 interview with NME. He also revealed he had gay fans who were not offended by his use of gay slurs.
I'm not homophobic. I just think (antigay slur) hits and hurts people. It hits. And 'gay' just means you're stupid. I don't know, we don't think about it, we're just kids. We don't think about that. But I don't hate gay people. I don't want anyone to think I'm homophobic.
In May 2015, he wore a pride shirt from his Golf clothing line while holding another man's hand in a Tumblr post in which he said he was the least homophobic person.
Also, ever since my career started, I've been labelled as a homophobe simply because of my use of the word (antigay slur). Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD. I mean, I'm legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth, but most people just read the surface.
Source: Getty Images
Tyler, the Creator, coming out journey
In April 2015, the Grammy-winning hip-hop artist took to X (then Twitter) to reveal that he was part of the LGBTQ community, writing,
I tried to come out the damn closet like four days ago, and no one cared. Hahahhahaha.
The post was not taken seriously, given his love-hate relationship with the community since his career debut. In August 2016, Kendall Jenner tweeted about the speculation that she and Tyler were dating. He replied to the tweet saying,
Not possible, we're both gay .
He later addressed his sexuality in his 2017 album Flower Boy. The song I Ain't Got Time has lyrics like, "Next line will have 'em like 'whoa' - I have been kissing boys since 2004".
The song Massa has the lyrics, "Everyone I ever loved had to be loved in the shadows". On the track, Garden Shed ft Estelle, he says,
You don't have to hide - I can smell it in your eyes - That there's something more to say, baby - Them words...Them feelings I was guardin' - Heavy on my mind - All my friends lost - They couldn't read the signs - I didn't wanna talk and tell 'em my location - And they ain't wanna walk - Truth is, since a youth kid, thought it was a phase - Thought it'd be like the phrase; 'puf', gone - But, it's still goin' on
Source: Getty Images
Tyler, the Creator, apologized for hiding his sexuality
The hip-hop star apologized for not being open about his sexuality in his 2023 song Sorry Not Sorry in which he says,
Sorry to the (people) I led on - Who thought their life was gonna change 'cause I gave 'em head on - But instead, I sped off, yeah, I know I'm dead wrong - Sorry to the guys I had to hide - Sorry to the girls I had to lie to, who ain't need to know if I was by the lake switchin' tides, too.
Before coming out, the artist discussed the issue of having gay rappers in a 2014 interview with Larry King. The host asked Tyler, the Creator, if there would ever be gay artists in the rap industry, and he responded,
Maybe one day, but why does that – matter? Like, if he wanna (be with) dudes or whatever. Why does that matter? Like, why do we care? Like, that is so – crazy, right!?
Source: Getty Images
The question 'Is Tyler, the Creator, straight or gay?' continues to linger in the minds of his fans. He has yet to state his sexual preferences explicitly, but he is currently considered part of the LGBTQ+ community despite his earlier perceived hate towards gay people.
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Source: Briefly News
