Madonna fans are excited and confused over the singer’s latest TikTok after she appeared to come out as gay. Captioned, “If I miss, I’m gay!” the TikTok shows Madonna holding up a pair of hot pink underpants, throwing them toward a trash can, and missing the target.
Opinion is already divided on what this TikTok actually means. Madonna is borrowing a popular meme format where queer TikTokers post some version of “If I miss this I’m gay.” But is Madonna using this meme to send a message about her identity, or is she just having fun with a meme she saw on her FYP? The 64-year-old singer has a habit of posting goofy and confusing content on TikTok, and this would indeed be a surprising way for an A-list star to come out.
@madonna ♬ original sound – nudy georges
The TikTok’s comments section is a mix of people celebrating Madonna’s apparent coming-out (“We are witnessing herstory”) and fans arguing that her sexuality was already public knowledge. “Madonna has been an out bisexual for literally decades my dudes,” reads one of the top comments. Another added, “y’all Madonna has been out as bi longer than some of us have been alive.”
While Madonna is a longtime gay icon and campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights, there’s a lot of disagreement around her sexuality in the public eye. All of her long-term public relationships have been with men, leading a lot of people to believe she’s straight. However, she’s also expressed attraction for women, saying in a 1991 interview, “I think everybody has a bisexual nature.”
Further muddying the waters is Madonna’s history of homoerotic publicity stunts—for instance, her onstage kiss with Britney Spears at the 2003 VMAs, and more recently, her collaboration with rapper Tokischa. Some commentators see these moments as a cynical ploy, while others characterize them as another facet of Madonna expressing her sexuality through her art. It’s worth pointing out that Madonna rarely faces this level of scrutiny for similar performances with male backup dancers. The idea that she only kisses women for attention is founded in an age-old biphobic trope, and many fans are understandably defensive when people assume that she’s straight.
At any rate, this new TikTok tracks with Madonna’s brand of intentional ambiguity, sparking different interpretations from different viewers. And as the news began to spread that she (maybe) came out, fans were quick to celebrate. Over on Twitter, many more people defended Madonna’s queer credentials, striking back against detractors who poked fun at the TikTok.
“Before you clown madonna’s look,” reads one popular response from Twitter user @mattxiv, “just remember that woman was holding fundraisers for AIDS when other celebs wouldn’t even talk about gays for fear of losing their careers.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Madonna’s publicist for comment.