Melissa Etheridge has revisited a 1992 interview that took place before she publicly came out, saying a key detail was changed in print.
In a recent interview, the singer said she had spoken openly at the time about being in a relationship with a woman. When the story was published, references to her girlfriend had been changed to boyfriend.
Etheridge said the change alarmed her because she believed many LGBTQ readers would notice it and might think she had agreed to hide the relationship. At that point, she had not yet made a public statement about her sexuality.
She later came out publicly in January 1993 at the Triangle Ball, an LGBTQ-focused event held during President Bill Clinton’s inauguration period.
Etheridge has since become one of the most visible openly gay artists in rock music. Her comments place the 1992 interview in the context of a period when many public figures faced pressure over how openly they discussed their personal lives.