Raven-Symoné To Oprah: 'I'm Not African-American -- I'm American'

Raven Symon Oprah

Raven-Symoné just gave us all something to think about. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the actress/singer says she doesn't need labels, and would prefer not to be categorized as 'gay' or 'African-American.'

'I don't want to be labeled 'gay,' ' the ex-Disney star said. 'I want to be labeled 'a human who loves humans.' '

And while some may take issue with that, perhaps arguing that she should embrace her identity, Raven does say that she's proud of who she is -- she would just rather not be put in a box. While Oprah tried to get her to talk about 'coming out,' Symoné said she has always tried to keep her personal life private and refuses to let people use her sexuality for conversation fodder, as she's tweeted about before.

Her view about labels extends to race and heritage too. 'I'm not African-American -- I'm American,' the 'Cosby Show' alum said -- to the shock of Oprah, who said she had presumably already set Twitter on fire with that statement.

Yes, Oprah: One look at Twitter, and it's already started. Some fans have come to Symoné's defense about wanting to be treated equally, but mostly, others are mad that she doesn't want to identify with one group.

Here's Raven's response:

'I don't know where my roots go to. I don't know how far back they go,' she said. 'I don't know what country my family's from. But I do know that my roots are in Louisiana.'

'I'm American -- and that's a colorless person,' she said confidently. That's so Raven.

There you have it. Of course, make sure you tell us what you think in the comments.

For more about identity and bias, go to LookDifferent.org.