La Roux: I don’t feel man or woman, gay or straight
La Roux has said she does not feel comfortable openly labelling her sexuality, and embraces androgyny because she doesn’t feel man or woman.
The Bulletproof singer was speaking to the Observer about Cruel Sexuality, a song on her new album with the lyric: “You make me happy in my everyday life/Why do you keep me in a prison at night?”.
She said: “Of course, because people see the word ‘sexuality’ and think: ‘Oh my God you’re gay!’ But sexuality just means you are a sexual person, and that song’s not about me being: ‘Oh no, I’m a lesbian!’ or anything like that.”
“I debate this a lot – do we need everyone to be 100% open about everything before we get to the stage it doesn’t matter? And I agree to a point, I am aware of the conflicts.
“But the problem is, if I say, ‘I’m straight,’ nobody will come around to my house and take a picture of my boyfriend. If I say, ‘I’m gay,’ then somebody will come around and try to take a picture of my girlfriend.”
“It’s all very well people telling me to be open about it, but it will impact on my life.
“Why should I have to bear the brunt of what would happen? All I know is that if it’s not something I have any interest or desire to talk about, then that needs to be my only reason.”
“I don’t feel like I belong to any of those. So I’m not going to put myself in that camp, or under that title.
“I don’t feel one thing or the other, I don’t feel man, I don’t feel woman – that’s where the androgyny comes from.
“I probably feel more feminine than I do masculine… but if people want to hold me up as a gay role model, absolutely, I’m proud to be that, but I don’t feel the need to say that I’m gay to do it.”
The singer said in 2010: “I don’t have a sexuality. I don’t feel like I’m female or male. I don’t belong to the gay or straight society, if there is such a thing.
“I feel like I’m capable of falling in love with other people.
“I’m not saying I’m bisexual, I’m just sexual!”
