And while Ross is not a part of the community—as far as we know—as a heterosexual, cisgender Black woman she still faced some backlash for recording and eventually releasing the song.
Recently, during an interview with Yahoo Music, songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers, who was responsible for creating the song, said that Ross, who has become an icon in the LGBTQ+ community, would suffer career ruin if she allowed the song to come out.
Rodgers said he was inspired to write the song after visiting a nightclub where he saw drag queens dressed as Ross.
If I write a song for Diana Ross and talk about a disenfranchised part of her fan base and sort of make it for them, this would be an important record…No one thinks of Diana Ross necessarily on the frontlines of this, but (the gay) community and her (gay) fans love her and idolize her.
Crocker believed the songs on her album Diana were so personal that her audience might believe the song was autobiographical.