Billie Joe Armstrong has shared his thoughts on being considered a “bisexual icon.”
Since bursting onto the scene in 1989, the 51-year-old talent and his band Green Day have remained a staple within the music sphere due to his popular songs, including ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ and ‘American Idiot.’
Alongside his unapologetic and chart-topping music, Armstrong has made waves for his bisexual identity, with some LGBTQIA+ fans labelling him a “bi icon.”
In a recent interview with People, the beloved talent opened up about his icon status, describing it as “f**king cool.”
“I like it. I think it’s f**king cool that someone calls me a bisexual icon. I’ve seen that before. I’m like ‘F**k, yeah!,” he exclaimed.
Armstrong also reflected on how LGBTQIA+ acceptance has changed for the better compared to when he first came out in the late 90s.
“Being a Gen X-er, I feel like there was a seed that got planted where it was the era in the 90s that we came up, where men were discovering more of being with other men and being more bisexual and coming out with that,” he explained.
“It’s way more complex now, as far as sexuality. You’re like, ‘Wow, we’ve really come a long way.’ Even though it’s still kind of looked at as being taboo, I think people now are a lot more brave than they’ve ever been. I think people are way more open now.”
Over the years, Armstrong has remained an open book with fans regarding his queerness.
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During a 1995 interview with The Advocate, the talented rockstar first came out as bisexual, describing his identity as a “beautiful thing.”
“I think I’ve always been bisexual. I mean, it’s something that I’ve always been interested in. I think people are born bisexual, and it’s just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of, ‘Oh, I can’t,'” he told the news outlet.
“They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing.”
10 years later, Armstrong gave further insight into his bisexuality and how some of Green Day’s songs, like ‘Coming Clean,’ explore the topic of LGBTQIA+ identity.
“It was a song about questioning myself. There are these other feelings you may have about the same sex, the opposite sex, especially being in Berkeley and San Francisco then,” he explained to Rolling Stone magazine in 2014.
“People are acting out what they’re feeling: gay, bisexual, transgender, whatever. And that opens up something in society that becomes more acceptable. Now we have gay marriage becoming recognized.”
Lastly, on 19 January, Armstrong added another LGBTQIA+ inclusive anthem to Green Day’s music catalogue by releasing their electrifying single ‘Bobby Sox,’ which he has described as a “queer sing-along.”
It’s safe to say that the talented rock star has earned his “bisexual icon” title.
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