Rest In Peace.

[Tilden]

If Bobby Christina is 18 and is not under anyone's legal supervision, whether she sees her father or not ought to be totally up to her, period. I have no idea if it would be a good idea or not, but it's her decision to make, as she's a legal adult.

I don't care one way or another about Whitney's sexuality, but it's an unfortunate time for rumors about her being a closeted lesbian to be resurfacing, simply because it may lead to idiotic protesting of her funeral. That sort of thing just infuriates me, because funerals are for the mourners more than the deceased, who's obviously past caring about the actual funeral and past the possibility of being hurt by protestors saying nasty things about them. So, really, what's the point? Okay, I know what the point is--to get their nasty signs on the news. But beyond that, what's the point? Making people who are already feeling terrible feel worse just is needlessly cruel and, IMO, not at all a Christian thing to do.

[MsDiva2007]

I can't remember who said it, but I read a quote from someone saying that if WBC protests at your funeral, you must have had a pretty good life!

Whether Whitney was a lesbian or not, her possible attempts to stop the rumors is indicative of feelings about homosexuality in the African American community that still exist. It's sad that she may have married Bobby for that reason, although from what I saw of them, they seemed to love each other.

Those pics from the page KeepItReal posted are really telling. Whitney was "on" in front of the cameras, until she got in the car and then she just seemed to deflate. She looked so tired and haggard.

I so agree as a religious African American woman. There is a really hard way to go for gay people in this community. I love my religion but just like any book,I judge people on who they are and not who they sleep with. I feel it is not any of my business. I can tell you this is not a common way of thinking. I feel for people like Whitney and others who aren't allowed to be themselves because people are not able to realize that the differences in people are not wrong. It is a well known fact that Whitney was taken under Clive Davis wings and cleaned up to meet the expectations that he and her family had for her. Too bad they did not take into account what Whitney wanted. My mom when she was alive used to say even Iron wears out.

I think all of the pretending to be something she was not took a severe toll on Whitney houston. I have no doubt that she grew to love Bobby Brown and he loved her also. I just think the two of them had been in search of a way to forget their pasts and drugs are what lead to ruin for them both. It's sad they both seemed to be on the road to healthy lives and now its over for Whitney. I can only hope that Bobby can find it in himself to be strong for his baby girl.

[chitex3]

With all the stories coming out about Whitney, all I can say if this is RIP, it must have been hell living! I just want to remember her for her music, and shall it live forever.

[Critical]

I so agree as a religious African American woman. There is a really hard way to go for gay people in this community. I love my religion but just like any book,I judge people on who they are and not who they sleep with. I feel it is not any of my business. I can tell you this is not a common way of thinking. I feel for people like Whitney and others who aren't allowed to be themselves because people are not able to realize that the differences in people are not wrong. It is a well known fact that Whitney was taken under Clive Davis wings and cleaned up to meet the expectations that he and her family had for her. Too bad they did not take into account what Whitney wanted. My mom when she was alive used to say even Iron wears out.

I think all of the pretending to be something she was not took a severe toll on Whitney houston. I have no doubt that she grew to love Bobby Brown and he loved her also. I just think the two of them had been in search of a way to forget their pasts and drugs are what lead to ruin for them both. It's sad they both seemed to be on the road to healthy lives and now its over for Whitney. I can only hope that Bobby can find it in himself to be strong for his baby girl.

I dated a man who was African American and his father is a retired Southern Baptist minister. I was surprised that he was pretty homophobic in light of how liberal he was in all other areas. Frankly, his ideas about gays and lesbians were about in line with those of 10 year old boys when I was growing up 30 years ago. I was pretty shocked.

I read an article yesterday about how Dolly Parton is going to make a lot of money over the increase in play of "I Will Always Love You." The article pointed out that, while the Michael Jackson estate made a lot of money after MJ's death, that won't happen with Whitney's estate because she didn't write her own songs.

[KeepItReal]

I don't think that the protesters will try to protest her funeral over the rumors. It's a known fact that they want to be where the cameras are. I don't think they will be successful. They won't get anywhere near that church.

I also doubt that these stories of Whitney and her past coming back are damaging to her memory in any way. If anything you could only hope it would lead to people accepting the artist for their art and not their image. Clive Davis did the exact same thing with Alicia Keys, who had the same street edge and the same rumors following her because of her friendship with an assistant. Next thing you know the cornrows and swagger disappear (as well as the assistant) and a diva is born. I think it's a lack of understanding where these women come from. Whitney was a Brick City girl through and through and Alicia is from Hell's Kitchen. I grew up with women who walked and talked like them and it has nothing to do with sexuality. Why do they need to change so much about a person to make them marketable? Those women could sing no matter what they wear, how they walk and talk, or who their friends are. I think Alicia probably had a bit of an easier time dealing with the rumors because her family wasn't so immersed in the church.

When you create these images, if the downfall should begin to happen, everything will be blamed on drugs. If you're sick, if you lose weight, if you tell someone off, it's the drug. Sometimes it's not the drug. Sometimes it's who they are at the core, and even addicts (recovering or not) get sick, lose weight, or look haggard sometimes. Reading the captions under those posted pics, Whitney was leaving the doctors office in the second set of pics. She looks so drained when she got in the car. Maybe she was under the weather, but off course, some will believe that drugs were her only issue.

[Tilden]

I just heard someone connected to the funeral home (I think--maybe it was the church) telling reporters that fans who were disappointed that there would be no big public gathering for them at a nearby stadium and only a private, invitation only funeral needed to understand that the family had shared Whitney with them for thirty years and this was now their time.

Honestly, people who are disappointed that the family is not providing some huge public event for them need to understand how extremely expensive that would be. It's being rumored that Whitney was having financial problems when she died, but even if she weren't, it's very costly to rent out a stadium, pay for security etc. Not to mention how much the city would have to be involved in order to handle traffic etc. and how potentially inconvenient it might be for those who would not or could not be attending. Couldn't they find their own ways to mourn with others they know personally who also loved Whitney's music? It's really not the family's responsibility to provide them with a venue for their grief.

[Fanny Mare]

Tilden I heard they were going to stream it online , so her fans could see it.

[captain]

As for the gay rumors...you have to remember this was the 80's and thoughts were not as progressive.

[Tilden]

Tilden I heard they were going to stream it online , so her fans could see it.

That makes so much more sense to me than some separate event at a big stadium. If they stream it online, even people who couldn't possibly make an event would have a better shot of seeing it, and if they leave it up for a while, people could watch it when they can as opposed to having to watch it at a particular time when they might well have something else they need to do (like go to work).

If the family is willing to do that, I think they've done fine by the fans and people shouldn't complain.

[chicagodiva]

has anyone seen the article Robyn Crawford wrote for esquire magazine. Very touching. I remember they were great friends. According to whitney on her Diane swayer interview, they stopped being friends because Robyn asked her to pick between her and bobby, whitney said she would never do that. But she "loved her" still.

I had wondered if the two of them ever became friends again, but I think with long standing friendships, when they fall apart, they are never able to put it back together again.

I'm getting sick and tired of all of the nasty rumors about Whitney since her death, the drug usage getting brought up? Come on now ! How could be the first thing thats get brought up? How can you forget what a powerful talent and voice she was? She was the voice of the generation, remember that. There were so many good times with whitney.

Its almost like a lover with me when talking about whitney, when times were bad, they were really bad, but when they were good, THEY WERE REALLY GOOD !!! God could that girl sing !!!!