‘Parks and Recreation’ Alum Natalie Morales Comes Out as ‘Queer’

In honor of Pride Month, Natalie Morales has taken a brave step.

The Parks and Recreation alum came out as "queer" on Friday in a touching essay posted on her former colleague, Amy Poehler's, Smart Girls website. https://amysmartgirls.com/natalie-morales-would-like-you-to-know-nothing-about-her-except-for-one-thing-da80fc9b46f8

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"I'm coming out. I want the world to know," the 32-year-old actress wrote on a tweet linking to the post.

"I am a very private person ... I'm about to blow that all up. Hopefully, for a good reason.," Morales writes in the note. "I don't like labeling myself, or anyone else, but if it's easier for you to understand me, what I'm saying is that I'm queer."

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"What queer means to me is just simply that I'm not straight. That's all," she continued. "It's not scary, even though that word used to be really, really scary to me."

Her entire piece, which walks through her lifelong personal journey of sexuality leading to her decision to come out, can be found here.

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And it's been a big day for pride! On JAY-Z's new album, 4:44, the rapper candidly raps about his mother's sexuality.

"Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian, had to pretend so long that she's a thespian," the Brooklyn, New York, native rhymes on "Smile." "Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate. Society shame and the pain was too much to take. Cried tears of joy when you fell in love. Don't matter to me if it's a him or her. I just want to see you smile through all the hate."

Happy Pride Month!

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