Ever since Tooji took to the Eurovision stage in Baku, there have been constant rumours as to whether he prefers guys or gals. Type his name into Google and you’ll find that the second most popular search is “tooji eurovision gay”.

tooji google

It would appear that the “Stay” singer has grown tired of the speculation, and has released the following statement (along with a tasteful nude portrait of himself) via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter:

Daily I get comments either online or through my everyday life, of people wondering about me being gay or straight.

People dropping comments underneath pictures and videos, or coming up to me in person and asking what type of genitals I like. I want to answer you once and for all and say that I understand…

We people have a constant need to categorize in hope of comprehending our environment. We need to label and put things in neat little boxes so we can understand, or at least try to understand a tiny bit of how things function around us.

Off course I understand that it would make everybody else’s life much easier to know what I do in my bed.

Off course I see that it makes huge differences when listening to my music what gender I’m more into.

And above all, off course I can see how it shapes and inflicts my actions and words when I’m talking about children’s rights.

I do understand, but if that is what you judge me from, If this is what shapes my words and music in your ears; do not listen.

Because if this is what is essential for you to understand the world and judge me as a person, I will not give you the pleasure of categorizing me, or labeling me, for you to think that you understand who I am.

And if your asking me because your into me, You never had a chance.

Let people be people, not labels.

//Tooji

It’s certainly a very thought provoking piece, but what do y’all think? Is Tooji right? On the one hand, in an ideal world there should be an no labels and sexuality shouldn’t make a difference, but unfortunately the world we live in is far from ideal. As a major singer, with thousands of fans, does he have a responsibility to be a role model and be open and true? He asks whether it would make people’s life easier if they knew what he did in bed? Arguably it would, particularly to young people in the likes of Russia or Belarus. Or is Tooji’s sexuality his own business and no one else’s? But then why raise the subject at all? And in such an opaque manner certain to cause even more discussion. Share your views below.

Padraig Jude contributed this report from Ireland. Follow him on Twitter at @PadraigJude. And while you’re at it, like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip.

Photos: Tooji

19 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
help
help
10 years ago

benden ba?ka hiç bir türk yorum yapmam?? 😮 bence tooji gay de?il .

help
help
10 years ago

neden böylesine saçma ?eylerle u?ra??yorsunuz ? kime ne ki tooji’nin cinsel tercihleri ? gay olsa size ne yarar? olacak ?

Jordan
Jordan
10 years ago

I don’t care if he’s gay or straight… I’ll still sit on his face.

Katy
10 years ago

Guys, lay off, ok? The matter is way more complex than it seems. As it’s about Tooji’s previous work whithin Children’s welfare and in Asylum centres. Children and families coming there all come from countries where one can be stoned to death if one is homosexual and if his private life is un-conventional for them, it can affect his past work in a negative way. IIRC he was in relationships with former Miss Norway and Charlotte Thorstvedt (a model and a singer) and he’s been seen with women a lot. I am his hardcore fan, but still – my gaydar… Read more »

Bita
Bita
10 years ago

@ Dear Padraig Jude,it seems a big misunderstanding! I didn’r addressed you exactly in my statement.I was disagree with your comment about his (cryptic msg) and the rest of text was general actually!
And I must to say… .Ya! I’m totally agree with you about the way he reduced sexual orientation!
In any case,I apologize to you & so sorry about the misunderstanding 🙂

Bita
Bita
10 years ago

I don’t agree with you Padraig Jude.His message was not cryptic but really obvious! He asked people to focus on his music and career about vulnerable children rights not his personal life! We can’t judge people according to our little knowledge about them and we CAN’T judge them by their physical characteristics and aspects. Tooji’s appearance in ESC does not convey anything about his orientation!This is just absurd thinking! Tooji is a great person.He has a gentle,caring and honorable personality.He is also a great painter and social worker.I don’t understand why some people don’t care about such significant things!What are… Read more »

eurovicious
eurovicious
10 years ago

People are googling to see whether Tooji is gay? How can they not tell? How is this even a controversy? He’s gayer than a chorus line of lumberjacks singing Bad Romance while being sprayed with prosecco by Ben Cohen, Cher and David Furnish. I had a positive impression of Tooji and his song was my favourite in 2012, but I have to admit, I don’t like that statement. It reminds me of Jodie Foster’s speech, though it’s not as bad. It’s this interminable dancing around the issue when there’s no issue to be danced around, and it’s the type of… Read more »

Leon
Leon
10 years ago

Any guy who posts a picture like that is definitely not straight. And yes, watching his Eurovision performance makes it clear which way he swings.

Vlad
Vlad
10 years ago

I like his reply – quite cool. “Of course” is not spelled “Off course” though.

Aufrechtgehn
10 years ago

Erm… did anybody watch his Eurovision performance? And still wonders about the way he swings? Really? To me, his statement reads as “Yeah, of course I’m gay, but I’ve signed a contract and my record company doesn’t want me to tell, because they fear the loss of the premature girl fanbase”. It’s the same bullshit other closet cases like Mika gave us before and I’m soooo tired of it. If you want to keep your sexuality to yourself, which is perfectly fine, then just shut the fuck up, man. But don’t give me this prententious crap, which is nothing else… Read more »

Persian Girl
Persian Girl
10 years ago

I just want to say why there is such rumour about him?why people don’t care of other artists sexual orientation and only interested about Tooji’s life?!
I my opinion this is just a stupid yellow stories .maybe some people are jealous!

Arianna
10 years ago

Tooji is Tooji, a really friendly, caring, likable guy & personality with nice music.:D That shouldn’t change if he ends up having a partner who is a guy or girl

D
D
10 years ago

I don’t care if he’s gay or not, when you listen to music you don’t hear gay or straight, you just hear music. Much like everything else in the world.

Elodie
Elodie
10 years ago

@bla: BYE! no one will miss you. this is a eurovision site, and tooji is from eurovision, so i want to read it.

bla
bla
10 years ago

This is not ESC website, but gay site. Bye 4 ever, i am not interesting, who is gay and which transanimals are interesting in Eurovision. This contest is about music, not about your crazy sexuality. OMG!

Charles
Charles
10 years ago

As a gay male myself, this is probably to me the best piece of written statement I’ve read in a long time that translates into “stop wanting to make the whole world gay as if that would make things better for each one of you and learn to embrasse people for who they are as people without creating expectations and labels for no reason.” Tooji (and literaly every male guy ever in the world of music and the ones coming to Eurovision) is first and foremost to us an music artist and that is how we should learn to see… Read more »

BG
BG
10 years ago

Sorry.I need to correct the link attached to my previous comment.
Here is the right link: http://www.side2.no/underholdning/article3328021.ece

BG
BG
10 years ago

In my view,he shouldn’t raise this topic because it makes Curious people more Enthusiastic to figure out about his orientation.After all,I wonder why people are suspicious and curious about his orientation!Why some people think he might be gay?!According to what evidences??
Although his message was not obvious partly,but I don’t think he is a gay.Because he was talking about how his favorite-dream girl should be before.(http://www.seher.no/kjendis/tar-et-oppgj%C3%B8r-med-ryktene-67450)

He is gentleman and honorable.No matter what people think.