R&B singer and Grammy nominee Khalid broke down into tears during his first-ever Pride show after being outed on social media last year.
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The “Location” singer got emotional during his performance at the WorldPride DC 2025 Free Street Festival & Closing Concert on June 8. A Gay Times YouTube video shows him tearing up as the crowd chants his name.
“These are happy tears,” Khalid explained on stage. “This is my first time performing at Pride. This is my first time being at Pride. Y’all got me choked up, oh my god.”
Khalid wiped away tears as he spoke to the crowd. “I want to thank you guys so much for accepting me and supporting me,” the singer added as the crowd cheered. “It means the world to me. It makes me so happy. I feel like I’m home here on this stage.”
Khalid’s Emotional Pride Performance Follows Being Outed Last Fall
Last fall, R&B singer, whose full name is Khalid Donnel Robinson, publicly shared on social media that he is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Khalid took to X, sharing a post that featured a rainbow flag emoji accompanied by several exclamation points. He wrote alongside it, “there yall go. next topic please lol.”
In response to a fan’s question asking if he was “GEHHH,” the artist affirmed, “I am! And that’s okay.” In a subsequent message, the “Better” singer shared that his decision to address his sexuality publicly was partly influenced by being outed.
“I got outted and the world still continues to turn,” Khalid wrote. “Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality, it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me. Love y’all.”
At the time, Khalid didn’t name who outed him. However, Rolling Stone reported it followed Hugo Almonte’s since-deleted posts about artists he’s been with. Almonte allegedly claimed a “favorite gay R&B singer” once offered him drugs and accused him of breaking into his house, sharing a photo of himself with Khalid.
Khalid further explained to his fans that he “wasn’t hiding anything.” He simply felt that his sexuality wasn’t “any of your business.”
Khalid entered the music scene in 2016 with his hit songs “Location” and “Young Dumb & Broke,” both reaching the Billboard Hot 100 top 20. He released his debut album, American Teen, in 2017, followed by Free Spirit in 2019. His third album, Sincere, debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart last August.