“A lot of artists weren’t really open about it.”
“I was real nervous and scared at first,” Brat previously said onGrowing Up Hip Hop Atlanta.
“I would hide behind furniture when she would talk to me.
I would cover up my face when I laughed.
Swag gone, okay?
Nobody would probably expect me to act like that.”
Brat confirmed her relationship with Jesseca in an Instagram post in 2020 that doubled as hercoming outannouncement.
BUZZFEED: Congratulations on your first baby!
How has life and everything been so far?
Brat: It’s been absolutely amazing.
I love being a mother.
I love our family.
I love when he cries, I love when he is smiling.
It totally lights my whole life up, and it makes my whole day better.
When he smiles at me… We celebrate everything he does.
I love when he poops and pees on me.
I don’t care.
I just love every little thing about motherhood.
I love loving him and having him love me unconditionally.
Like, he came out of my belly.
And it’s just still unbelievable to me.
How does your plan to raise him differ from how you grew up?
What are some of the things that you also plan to implement with him?
Brat: We just plan for him to do and be whatever he wants to be.
We’re going to make everything he wants accessible to him.
As far as the things he may like or may not like, we want him to try everything.
We’re not going to force anything on him.
Who was someone you looked up to growing up?
Did you have a Black queer icon?
My grandmother was on me.
I didn’t have the option to even watch or listen to or didn’t even know.
Yeah, in the ’80s or ’90s, I just didn’t even know.
Jesseca: [Nods in agreement.]
A lot of artists weren’t really open about it.
Who was your first queer crush?
Jesseca: My first queer crush was Da Brat.
Brat: Good answer!
[smiles] I didn’t have a first queer crush.
I don’t know…
I didn’t have a first queer crush.
My first queer crush wasMichael Jackson?
I didn’t have a first girl queer crush.
Did you have a Black queer fashion icon?
Jesseca: Andre Leon Talley.
Brat: Yeah, yeah, he was amazing.
Jesseca: There’s alsoRuPaul.
Brat: There’s always RuPaul.
Jesseca: Yes, definitely.
What was your journey like with understanding your own sexual identity?
When did you know your sexuality wasn’t a phase?
So I think my exploration days were not anything that was kind of reserved.
I just was exploring.
I don’t even remember when [I thought], ‘Oh, this isn’t a phase.’
Jesseca: Oh, that’s a good question.
Nor is it [with] women.
So it’s both of those.
You’re almost [treated like] a coin.
Brat: There have always been [blockades] in my whole career.
You couldn’t represent that.
I couldn’t put out a song about being gay.
It wouldn’t sell.
You have to figure something else out.
And I was too young then to weigh out all my options.
But before, I didn’t know what to do.
I was new in the industry.
I had to follow the rules if I wanted to be successful.
I mean, it almost doesn’t matter now.
People don’t look at you for who you love or what you look like.
Anything goes these days, and I’m grateful for that.
And I’m grateful that people are more understanding.
As long as you’re happy and love wins, I think that’s the most important thing.
What are your hopes for Black queer representation?
Brat: Hopefully, we can motivate and inspire people through our own stories.
I can’t really speak for anybody else’s story but my own.
Because you could lose everything.
For example, when Ellen [DeGeneres] did, she lost her show.
People were absolutely not cool with it.
So it’s possible for you to’t.
you’re able to’t come out, even if that’s who you are.
It was just more colorful and more love, and so many people supported me.
I feel like they love me even more, which was great because I was scared.
But you know, I met somebody that inspired me to not give a fuck, actually.
I had never been able to be publicly affectionate with anybody or anything like that.
So it was just a good, good feeling.
I felt like a snake that shed his skin and got some new skin.
I love it.
Thanks for chatting, Brat and Jesseca!
Check out more from themhereandhere.
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