Raven-Symoné Says Coming Out A Decade Ago Was A ‘Wound That Was Opened Up In Public’

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Raven-Symoné recently got candid about the difficulties she faced when she publicly came out. 

The Raven’s Home star, 37, shared her sexuality with the world in 2013. She reflected on the experience while speaking with E! News during the 9th Annual Better Brothers Los Angeles (BBLA) Truth Awards March 4.

“There were a lot of challenges,” Raven-Symoné told the outlet at the ceremony. “There was the crumbling of the wall that I had put up for so many years. And I felt very vulnerable, it was an interesting wound that was opened up in public.”

“Y’all better keep going because y’all are changing all kinds of conversations that I didn’t even know was possible!” she said to queer youth. She also encouraged them to “respect” their elders “at the same time.”

“I want to make sure I’m creating content that reflects the community that we’re a part of,” she noted, adding, “Respectfully and with dignity.”

 

Raven-Symoné Receives The Icon Award

The Truth Awards is produced by BBLA and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s D.I.V.A. Foundation. The annual event recognizes LGBTQIA+ African American artists, leaders and allies to the community who have “positively impacted the perception and image” of Black LGBTQIA+.

The ceremony honored Raven-Symoné with the Icon Award for her three-decade-long career and persistent presence in entertainment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actress’s award also recognized her “ongoing commitment to raising the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people on the screen and beyond.”

Raven-Symoné tied the knot to Miranda Maday in 2020. Debbie Allen hosted and catered the couple’s nuptials, providing a decadent spread of fried oysters, lobster pasta and a triple-berry cake from Sweet Lady Jane.

“Despite being someone who has kept my personal life private, I decided to share this moment because it’s one of the biggest and happiest of my life,” Raven-Symoné told PEOPLE. “Miranda makes me feel confident and empowered in an entirely new way. We planned our ceremony together, and it was a true reflection of our love and partnership.”

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