When asked about rumors about his
sexuality, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz said that he's had
“experiences with men.”
The 41-year-old Mraz, who in 2015
announced that he had secretly married girlfriend Christina Carano,
was among the celebrities who participated in Billboard's
tribute to Pride month. In a poem he wrote, Mraz wrote “I am bi
your side,” leading to speculation that Mraz had come out bisexual.
“Honestly, I didn’t realize it was
going to be so telling,” Mraz
told Billboard.
“But I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the
woman who became my wife. It was like, 'Wow, does that mean I am
gay?'”
“[Carano] calls it 'two spirit,'
which is what the Native Americans call someone who can love both man
and woman. I really like that,” he added.
Use of the term “two spirit”
created its own controversy, with people on social media pointing out
that it refers to gender, not sexuality.
“@jason_mraz congratulations on
coming out and welcome to the family!” @grahamburgers wrote on
Twitter. “Though, tell your wife that that isn't what two-spirit
is, I'd rather have Native LGBTQ+ people explain it in detail, but
it's more like a revered 3rd gender and not a sexuality.”
User @olympia_dukakis added:
“'Two-spirit' is a Native American term, it is not yours to use
(incorrectly), you very white man from Virginia. Please do just the
bare minimum of research before you call yourself 'two-spirit'
again.”
Mraz's sixth studio album, Known,
arrives next month.