Sufjan Stevens Comes Out

Yeah, Sufjan. We’ve known, girl.

Hope you’re feeling better, though.

I didn't have my glasses on and read this as Shakin' Stevens.

Thank god it's not

He seems mopey.

How did his partner die?

R2, lol

I’m surprised by this seeing as I always thought he was out.

He’s had a rough year what with his illness too. Hope things improve for him :,(

Who?!

[quote]I’m surprised by this seeing as I always thought he was out.

It's not a typical "coming out" as he's not saying "Hey, I'm gay!" Most people have figured as much for years. But this is the first time he has talked about his personal life—hey, the man I love passed away and my new album is dedicated to him. So I guess in a way it is "coming out" as it's the first public acknowledgment.

His music has meant a lot to me over the years, and I wish him well. What a terrible year he's had.

In all honesty, I've never heard of Sufjan Stevens.

It's a funny name.

It's odd that his partner's obituary was recently scrubbed from the site where it was hosted. Cached images remain on search engines.

Poor guy - what a shitty year. But the album is beautiful.

That is odd, R11. The obituary did not make any mention of Sufjan or even of any partner at all. I wonder if the family of the deceased is doing the classic (depressing, infuriating) non-acknowledgement of their son's lover.

That's my presumption, R13, after realizing the obituary's omission of Stevens was mentioned on Twitter today (with links that worked then). Either the family or the host could've yanked it in response, probably after a deluge of unwanted comments.

This obit includes a mention of SS.

He's having visions of Gideon... er... Evans.

Very sad. Love his music.

It’s sad. I’ve known the name but never listened to any of his music and didn’t know the first thing about his personal life. But losing a partner and a paralyzing illness in one year sounds awful and the tribute is touching but heartbreaking. And I still don’t know the first thing about this man!

His partner was handsome. That’s a beautiful photo of a handsome guy with great smile.

☹️

Two earlier beloved songs are this one and Chicago

Chicago

Childhood pic from the pulled obit. What a cutie. Curious about the cause of death.

Also fuck his family for ignoring his love life in general and his partner.

Sad news about Evans. And I hope people can celebrate Evans’ work in museums and culture, and his life, and not just see his death through the prism of Sufjan’s fame. After all, it’s likely they were broken up at the time he died.

Also - great on Sufjan for coming out. But why is everyone so chilled out when indie darlings like Sufjan stay closeted for years, but get apoplectic with snark and angst about someone like Shawn Mendes?

Suf, Jan

My father in law had Guillain-Barré syndrome and it was an awful time. He should’ve been enjoying his remission from cancer, but the entire time was spent in rehabilitation from Guillain-Barré.

WE BEEN KNEW SIS

So he’s a checkerboard chick.

[quote] Also - great on Sufjan for coming out. But why is everyone so chilled out when indie darlings like Sufjan stay closeted for years, but get apoplectic with snark and angst about someone like Shawn Mendes?

Many of us had never even heard of Sufjan until just now.

R27 there were quite a few threads about Sufjan on DL (in which people were very protective of his right to privacy, oddly enough for this site).

And he’s one of the most famous indie artists there is. Granted, not a megastar, but pretty famous.

r22: I think the difference is the fake girlfriends. And the fact that Mendes has abandoned music completely so that he can focus on hoovering dick.

The difference is keeping your private life private no matter what vs. vociferously denying you're gay and bearding publicly with women. None of us have a right to know about a public figure's private life, straight or gay, if they don't wish to share it with us. Just because you're gay and a public figure doesn't automatically require you to become a role model or spokesperson for the LGBT community. And with the way the "community" is such a shitshow these days, you're better off staying out of it if your career depends on the approval of the public.

We have no evidence Mendes is bearding. He might be gay (if so likely in denial rather than actively gay) or he might be completely straight. There’s no way of knowing, so to assume duplicity seems really harsh.

I don't think Surfjan was ever really closeted.

I always get him confused with Duncan Sheikh

That's not the only thing you get confused.

I knew.

No one is saying it's a huge revelation. Just that's he's finally addressed it publicly, so all you Amazing Kreskins can stop patting yourselves on the back.

r26=hair hopper

He brought his partner to the Oscars. You know, when he wrote those songs for that really gay movie. What more was he supposed to do, rent a neon billboard?

Two questions….what did his partner die of exactly (I’m not familiar with the illness listed here, I wasn’t sure if that was his cause of death). And then what health battle did SS go through?? His work is art. I looooooove it, I’m downloading Javelin right now.

I love Sufshann's muschick!

A straight guy casually informed me that Sufjan was gay about a decade ago, so if a straight guy knew, it couldn't have been much of a secret.

He was always too good-looking to be straight.

I agree

And too sensitive

Sufjan sang about falling in love with guys as far back as 2005 (“The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is out to get us”—great name for a great song). He released a song for pride a couple of years ago and did the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack. He never hid it, he just never spoke about it overtly because he’s generally quite private. Well, until sharing pictures of his piss jar in hospital.

R30 posts on a gossip board, while saying we don't have a right to know about the private lives of celebrities 😆 🤣

DL knew

Well we don’t have the right to know, but we do have the right to speculate

You all are unusually kind for DL. Don't know what happened but good on you.

You all are unusually kind for DL. Don't know what happened but good on you.

TIRE MARKS, TIRE MARKS!

Wait. This isn't that John Kelly guy who sings Joni Mitchell?

R39 1. no cause of death has been mentioned anywhere. 2. Sufjan was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome, which is some kind of autoimmune nerve disease. He has currently lost the ability to walk and been in hospital for weeks or months, but undergoing rehab.

[quote] Many of us had never even heard of Sufjan until just now.

Many of you are dumb trash.

Any of us that heard Illinois knew.

Wasn't sure if the girl in Casimir Pulaski Day was his friend or GF but we knew he was either gay or bi.

However, he also grew up in an evangelical atmosphere and I think it took him time to sort out his feelings/beliefs about all that vis a vis his sexuality.

My company was the sponsor for an award lunch for Thelma Golden, the director of the studio museum in Harlem. The museum had two or three tables and Evans came with Sufjan. Granted this was a fairly narrow event, but everyone knew they were a couple. My guess is, as others have speculated, that Richardson’s St. Louis family was the problem.

I gather Sufjan and Evans were together for a long time; there’s a reference to being together fourteen years on one of the new album songs. If Evans’ family deliberately erased his relationship with Sufjan from the obituary, that’s pretty loathsome.

It's interesting how many are trying to impose an old model on SS: this is not "coming out" in any usual definition of that. He was very private. He has simply dedicated this new album to his longterm partner. Much of his work has presented love that describes, implies, and values alternative relationships - not in a way that is "closeted", rather just 21st century life.

Anyone who is "surprised" by this hasn't been paying attention.

He's produced some of the most beautiful popular music we have in the last couple decades.

“I have loved you for the last time. Is it a video? Is it a video?”

Between Evans' death and Sufjan's illness....his next album will be, as the kids might say, lit as FUCK.

Why is this thread not visible when I search for it?

[quote] Many of us had never even heard of Sufjan until just now

I only knew of Sufjan because Ryan Murphy chose a song of his for a show's intro theme. I think it's pretty good.

[quote]non-acknowledgement of their son's lover.

And by lover you mean partner or boyfriend or husband?

R63 - I hate the word partner. It's so sterile and attention seeking.

[...]

Do you think that Richardson's family left Sufjan off the obit because they were never married? Did Evan die with debt that the family now has to take care of on top of estate and funeral expenses? I can see being upset about that even though Sufjan has issues of his own.