Lesbian non-binary music artist Kehlani published an Instagram Stories post that told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents not to speak to, compliment her, or ask for a photo with her.
Kehlani (who uses she/they pronouns) didn’t explain whether an ICE agent recently confronted her, but she’s one of several queer artists who have publicly opposed any association between their music and the current federal administration.
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Her post read: “public service announcement don’t ever fix your mouth to speak to me or ask for a photo or compliment me if you work for ICE. i’m dead to u don’t acknowledge me and delete all my music [heart hands emoji].”
This isn’t the first time that the singer has spoken out against ICE, them noted. She wore an “ICE OUT” pin while accepting her first-ever Grammy music award last February for her song “Folded.”
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While accepting the award, she told the audience, “Everybody is so powerful in this room. Together we’re stronger in numbers to speak against all of the injustice going on in the world right now. Instead of letting it be just a couple few here and there, I hope everybody is inspired to join together as a community of artists and speak out against what’s going on. And I’m gonna leave this and say, f**k ICE.”
Kehlani is now part of a growing number of LGBTQ+-identified artists who have told the current presidential administration and its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop using their music without permission.
Other queer-identified artists who have done so in the past include Elton John, Queen (the iconic British rockband whose frontman was queer icon Freddie Mercury), Green Day (an indie-rock band with bisexual frontman Billie Joe Armstrong), Sia, Kesha, Lorde, Panic! at the Disco (a rock band whose frontman Brendon Urie identifies as pansexual), Jess Glynne, Rufus Wainwright, as well as LGBTQ+ allies like Celine Dion and Sabrina Carpenter.
Kehlani came out as queer in 2018, after kissing nonbinary and pansexual Latiné pop star Demi Lovato on stage. In 2021, Kehlani also came out as a lesbian during an Instagram live stream.“ In 2023, she revealed that a Google Doc helped them come out.
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