by Shaun Knittel - SGN Associate Editor

Queen Latifah coming out as a Lesbian is about as shocking as when Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin announced he was Gay. Still, even through most people suspected Queen Latifah was Gay ever since her role in Set It Off (where she played a butch Lesbian bank robber), there was no photographic proof - until now.

On August 9, photos surfaced on the blog site Just Jared that show Queen Latifah and her personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins vacationing in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, on a yacht with Alicia Keys and her new hubby Swizz Beats. The photos show the Queen and Jeanette in more than one romantic embrace, making it clear she's out of the closet - intentionally or unintentionally.

It is rumored that the doting couple went topside to embrace and celebrate the overturning of California's Proposition 8.

Queen Latifah has kept mum about the photos, and it is unclear if she and Jeanette even knew they were being photographed. Latifah's silence on the matter is no surprise; for years, the hip-hop star and actress, whose real name is Dana Owens, has dodged the question about her sexual preference just as Ricky Martin had.

Queen Latifah's relationship with Jeanette could only be described as an "open secret." This set of pictures aren't the first time that she and Jeanette have been photographed in compromising positions - a few months ago they were seen cavorting together in a swimming pool while drinking tequila shots.

For some, the day that Queen Latifah officially comes out it could be seen as a very positive step in the right direction for the reputation and standing of LGBT performers in the black community. There are rumors about a number of black entertainers, but coming out is still considered a career-killing move.

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