Raven-Symone: Don't Label Me 'Gay' or 'African-American'

By
ETONLINE

Former child star Raven-Symone isn't into labels.

The That's So Raven actress, 28, recently sat down with Oprah Winfrey for her show Oprah: Where Are They Now?, where besides throwing some serious shade at a few of her fellow child stars, she also got super-candid on both her sexuality and identity.

Raven came out via Twitter last August, and confirmed to Oprah that she's in an "amazing, happy relationship with [her] partner, a woman." A picture then flashed confirming that her partner is AzMarie Livingston, who America's Next Top Model: British Invasion fans will remember from the show's 2012 season.

PHOTOS: 13 Celebs to Come Out as Bisexual

When Oprah asked when Raven was first aware of her sexuality, Raven said she knew when she was fairly young.

"In that topic of dating and in love, I knew when I was like 12," she revealed. "I was looking at everything."

But she's not into labels -- of any kind.

"I don't want to be labeled gay," she said. "I want to be labeled a human who loves humans."

The same goes when talking about her ethnicity.

"I'm tired of being labeled," Raven continued. "I'm an American. I'm not an African-American -- I'm American."

When a shocked Oprah told her that her controversial comments might "set Twitter on fire," Raven was unwavering on her statements.

"I will say this. I don't know where my roots go to," she said. "I don't know how far back they go. ... I don't know what country in Africa I'm from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. I'm American. And that's a colorless person."

"I don't label myself," she added. "I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian. I connect with Asian. I connect with Black. I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture."

VIDEO: Raven-Symone Slams Fellow Child Stars

Hear more from another one-time child star who's come out -- and even gotten married -- on his own terms in this clip with Neil Patrick Harris.