‘I Was So Exceedingly Terrified’: Renee Rapp Shares Her Experience Coming Out During SNL
Reneé Rapp was officially acknowledged as bisexual before January 2024. But owing to a heartfelt introduction from comedian Bowen Yang, she decided at the last minute to come out as a lesbian when she appeared in a Saturday Night Live spoof.
That being said, her coming out was a long journey. In a recent interview, Rapp talked candidly about recognizing her identity as a lesbian when speaking with Them. Back in December, the Tummy Hurts singer mentioned how Lesbian Masterdoc, a popular Tumblr tutorial, had been helpful to her.
Renee Rapp’s coming out journey
Renee Rapp talked about the possible responses to her coming out, realizing that not everyone would find it acceptable. Although she admitted that she didn’t fully understand all of the nuances, she acknowledged the complexity of these discussions and said that the experience had been personally enlightening.
She acknowledged that her LGBTQ+ friends were essential to her journey, explaining how their presence and encouragement sparked a deep sense of self-discovery. Looking back on her time spent with them, she spoke of being incredibly happy and a part of their group.
This was particularly noticeable when around lesbians, trans friends, and nonbinary individuals. All these interactions prompted her to consider accepting the lesbian label for herself. She recognized the transformative impact of their friendship.
As she navigated her identity, she described a period of uncertainty. She was initially questioning herself whether she identified as bisexual before realizing she was homosexual.
Rapp’s journey on SNL
Rapp revealed that Yang had originally intended to make her SNL debut in a sketch as “our little bisexual intern Reneé.” She did, however, choose to request that “bisexual” be changed to “gay” prior to the broadcast by Celeste Yim, one of the show’s writers.
She said that she didn’t want to accidentally hurt anyone. This might have been done by referring to herself as “bisexual.” This made her feel uneasy about the change. She also didn’t want to publicly identify as “gay” and then come under pressure to identify differently from lesbians.
Recounting her emotions at the time, she admitted to being terrified. Moreover, she felt overwhelmed by the situation as well. Ultimately, her decision sought to navigate her identity authentically while acknowledging the diverse experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.
Nonetheless, “gay” didn’t feel right. When Rapp finally answered her phone, her friend said, “I think it would be really f—ing sick if you came out as a lesbian on SNL.” In the end, Yang introduced herself as “our little lesbian intern.”
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