Barely two weeks after Christina Aguilera used her GLAAD Media Awards acceptance speech to thank her LGBTQ+ fans for teaching her about life and “how to get dirrty”, the singer has revealed she was a late bloomer when it came to her sexuality.
According to a Music News report, the 42-year-old singer who shed her squeaky clean image with the release of smash hit pop song “Dirrty” in 2002, in a new chat on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, admits all was not as it seemed despite her overtly sexy appearance.
“It’s so funny that I gave this persona because I probably was the last person to lose my virginity,” she smiled. “It was something that was for me. I guess that’s why my messages went the way they did too because I owned it first, maybe”.
Currently engaged to Matthew Rutler, who she shares eight-year-old daughter Summer with, she was previously wed to Jordan Bratman, the father of her 15-year-old son Max.
The lifelong LGBTQ+ ally accepted the Advocate for Change award at the 34th GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on Friday night (30 March).
Accepting the award, Aguilera said: “I grew up in this community … So much of who I am and what I do is because of each of you and the shared experience of having to fight for equality and freedom.”
Christina Aguilera has advocated for LGBTQ+ people since the beginning of her career, featuring a groundbreaking, unapologetic gay kiss in her lauded music video for 2002 single “Beautiful”.
Since then, she has raised half a billion dollars for HIV research, supported trans charities and spoken out against cruel legislation like Florida’s infamous ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law.
“I’ve had years of incredible moments with this family,” Aguilera continued. “The community has endured decades of fighting and we will continue to do so. I’m constantly impressed by your examples of the courage it takes to fight for acceptance, respect and safety that every human being deserves.”
Later in her speech, the singer explained how her own experience with violence and oppression made her commit to tackling anti-LGBTQ+ hatred.
“When you’ve been a victim of violence, abuse or trauma, it is incredibly hard and scary to find your voice and fight back,” she said.
“Having grown up in a home with domestic violence, it was seeing my mum in a powerless position that first ignited the fire in me to speak up for all of the people whose voices don’t get heard.”
