Is Chappell Roan a Lesbian (and Has She Confirmed This)?

Download Article

A respectful look at an iconic queer icon

Co-authored by Mira Lazine and Eric McClure

Last Updated: September 8, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

Is Chappell Roan gay?

|

Is Chappell Roan trans?

|

Dating History

|

Why is Chappell Roan a gay icon?

|

Takeaways

|

Video

Chappell Roan’s music celebrates being different and learning to love who you are. On top of that, her costumes and performances trend towards the flamboyant. She’s also an outspoken ally of the LGBTQ+ community. All of this has led people to speculate on Roan’s sexuality. While it’s generally not a good idea to speculate on someone’s sexuality, Roan has openly shared her journey in this regard. We’ll break down what Roan has said below!

Does Chappell Roan identify as LGBTQ?

Yes, Chappell Roan identifies as a lesbian. She publicly came out as a lesbian at one of her concerts in 2024. Prior to this, Roan identified as queer and had been out as a queer woman since she was 19 years old.

Section 1 of 5:

Is Chappell Roan gay?

Download Article

Yes, Chappell Roan is openly gay and identifies as a lesbian. Chappell Roan publicly came out as a lesbian in 2024. She shared the news on stage at a concert in Ohio, and confirmed as much in a now-infamous article published by Rolling Stone where she shared her journey of self-exploration and ultimately realized she was exclusively interested in women.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Her song “Pink Pony Club” is explicitly about her experience realizing she was a lesbian after moving from Missouri to LA.
- Roan identified under the umbrella term queer prior to her coming out as a lesbian. She had been out as a queer woman ever since she was 19.

Section 2 of 5:

Is Chappell Roan trans?

Download Article

No, Chappell Roan is not trans. There have been rumors out there that Chappell Roan is transgender, but they're untrue. She is a cisgender lesbian woman who is a strong ally to the trans community.
- Learn more about Roan's allyship in this forum discussion.

Section 3 of 5:

Chappell Roan Dating History

Download Article

Chappell Roan has not publicly disclosed who she is dating. To be 100% clear, she has explicitly stated that she is currently in a relationship with a woman, but she hasn’t shared a name or given any details beyond the fact that the relationship is serious.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Roan has specified that the woman she’s dating isn’t in the music or entertainment industry.
- Prior to her current relationship, Roan had been in a four-and-a-half-year relationship with a man.

Section 4 of 5:

Why is Chappell Roan a gay icon?

Download Article

1
Roan’s openness about her journey is really empowering. Queer artists have zero responsibility to share their experiences, so the fact that Roan chooses to be open and has shared so much about her sexuality is commendable. She has talked about how awkward it is to sleep with a man knowing you’re gay, how much internal shame she has experienced, and how hard it has been growing up in a conservative area.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- All of Roan’s experiences with her sexuality resonate with a lot of her queer fans. It can be comforting to hear that things aren’t super clear-cut and easy for pop stars, too!
- It helps that Roan is so funny and frank. She has said that “[Dating a boy is] just literally not fun…It’s not fun. It’s not hot. It’s not interesting. It’s boring.”^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
2
Her costumes and style celebrate the strange and unique. Roan has said that before she came out, she “was scared of flamboyantly gay people because I was taught that.”^{[5]
X
Research source} The fact that she has overcome that and embraced the flamboyant and over-the-top energy of her current style is powerful. It’s a testament to the resilience of the queer spirit, and it makes her music and performances even more vibrant.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Roan’s costumes also echo the queer ballroom scene, which famously celebrates performance, drag, and self-love.
3
She radiates queer joy without turning it into a schtick. There is so much social pressure on LGBTQ people, so celebrating who you are in the face of a society that shuns that is powerful. At the same time, Roan makes room for everything else in her music. She poignantly said, “You don’t necessarily have to be out-loud out…You can kind of silently celebrate if you would like...It’s so nice that people have started to take queer artists seriously outside of their queerness.”^{[7]
X
Research source}
- This is why Roan is often discussed in the same breath as Billie Eilish, Muna, and other queer artists who have been pushing queer positivity without making it their entire sound (not that there would be anything wrong with doing that).

Section 5 of 5:

Takeaways

Download Article

1
Avoid making assumptions about a person's sexuality or identity. A person's gender identity and sexual orientation are deeply personal. Don't speculate or judge someone based on these factors—they're only one facet to their life and all humans deserve respect regardless of their identity and preferences. LGBTQ+ Journalist Mira Lazine explains that “Whether someone is public about it is their own prerogative, but any bit of speculation or harassment over inquiries about this are inappropriate, as people often have a variety of reasons that they may be closeted, including for safety or personal comfort. No one is entitled to know someone else's sexual orientation, especially not someone who is a total stranger.”^{[8]
X
Expert Source

Mira Lazine
LGBTQ+ Journalist

Expert Interview}
- If you want to ask how a person you know identifies, Licensed Clinical Psychologist Kateri Berasi, PsyD, cautions, "Before talking with someone about their sexuality, ask yourself why you want to know this and why it matters to you. Are you coming from an open or judgmental place? If you are inquiring due to a desire to find a connection or from a place of empathy or support, these are good indicators that your question is more likely to be well received and possibly helpful as opposed to harmful or hurtful."^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Kateri Berasi, PsyD
  Licensed Clinical Psychologist
  
  Expert Interview}
2
Become an LGBTQ+ ally. We encourage you to take the time to learn about the LGBTQ+ community, understand LGBTQ+ terminology and use it respectfully, and become an ally. Lazine says, “The best way to learn is to check out resources created by LGBTQ+ folk...I'd recommend that which is shared by the Trevor Project, Trans News Network, and Advocates 4 Trans Equality.”^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Mira Lazine
LGBTQ+ Journalist

Expert Interview}
- She goes on to say, “The best thing allies can do is listen to any LGBTQ+ people they know, boost their voices, and if they're in need of money or work, offer them some as much as they can. LGBTQ+ folk are disproportionately facing homelessness & unemployment, by and large owing to workplace discrimination, so any form of remediation there can only help.”^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Mira Lazine
  LGBTQ+ Journalist
  
  Expert Interview}