Ariana Grande has been slammed for misunderstanding the meaning of ‘queer’ in the original Wizard Of Oz books by L. Frank Baum.
The 31-year-old pop star made the remarks while promoting her new movie Wicked – a two-part film adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name.
Based on a novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the backstory of The Wizard Of Oz’ main antagonist, the Wicked Witch Of The West.
Cynthia Erivo plays the main character in the movie, with Ariana as her best friend Galinda, who later becomes Glinda The Good Witch in The Wizard Of Oz.
While doing publicity for her new film, Ariana controversially claimed that Glinda ‘might be a little in the closet’ and cited ‘the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘
She was roundly blasted on social media, where observers pointed out that in the first two decades of the 20th century, when the books were published, the word ‘queer’ meant ‘strange’ and was not a reference to a person’s sexual orientation.
Ariana Grande has been slammed for misunderstanding the meaning of ‘queer’ in the original The Wizard Of Oz books by L. Frank Baum
‘Ignorance is so sad. Even sadder when you wear it like a badge of honor,’ sighed an X user, and another wrote: ‘There was a time when actors were classically trained. Today’s actors just need to know a few cultural Marxism tag lines.’
One fan complained: ‘i wish they’d stop interviewing celebrities; they only disappoint with the limited knowledge they have.’
‘Ariana Grande is one of those ones where you know she’s not being dishonest. She’s simply just that stupid,’ claimed one X user.
‘I have been reading Baum all my life and I am fully aware of what it is about. No teenage human chicken-wing is going to change that,’ fumed another.
‘F**s were cigarettes,’ noted one viewer on X, formerly Twitter, joking: ‘”Man, I could really go for a f**” carries different weight today.’
‘Wait til people find out about the “Gay Nineties” in the 1800s,’ quipped another, as a third cracked: ‘Every home needs a Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.’
‘Don’t let them read Lord of the Rings,’ remarked one observer drily, referring to the close friendship between that book’s male characters Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, which some fans joke has gay connotations.
L. Frank Baum published his original children’s book The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz in 1900, introducing readers to such iconic characters as Glinda, the Wicked Witch Of The West, Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion.
The 31-year-old pop star made the remarks while promoting her new movie Wicked, which stars her alongside Cynthia Erivo
Wicked: Part One bowed in theaters last week on November 22, with Wicked: Part Two scheduled for release on November 21, 2025
She was roundly blasted on social media, where observers pointed out that in the first two decades of the 20th century, when the books were published, the word ‘queer’ meant ‘strange’
Upon publication, the first novel proved such a thunderous success that the author wrote 13 full-length sequels before his death in 1919.
In 1995, Gregory Maguire published his revisionist novel Wicked in which he reimagined the backstory of the Wicked Witch Of The West – a green girl called Elphaba who studies at university with Galinda.
Despite their initial differences. Elphaba and Galinda become best friends, only to be ripped apart by the deteriorating political situation in Oz.
However, while plugging her new movie recently, Ariana suggested that Galinda’s emotional attachment to Elphaba might be somewhat more than platonic.
‘Glinda might be a little in the closet. You never know! Give it a little more time,’ she teased in an interview with Gay Times.
She described Oz as a ‘celebration of uniqueness,’ gushing that ‘everyone is just so beautifully queer and that roots all the way back to the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘
Ariana added that ‘everyday in the Emerald City [the capital of the fictional Land Of Oz] is a Pride parade… even like the chickens, those chickens are gay.’
Furious fans raked her over the coals online, accusing her of engaging in ‘queerbaiting’ – but she found herself well-defended elsewhere.
L. Frank Baum published his original children’s book The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz in 1900, introducing readers to such iconic characters as Glinda
Upon publication, the first novel proved such a smash success that the author wrote 13 full-length sequels before his death in 1919; he is pictured circa 1910
L. Frank Baum’s original novel was adapted into the iconic 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz with Judy Garland playing the role of Dorothy Gale
Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Galinda in the 2003 Broadway musical of Wicked, sided with Ariana amid the furor.
When E! News posted a headline about Ariana’s remarks to its Instagram page, Kristin leapt into the comments to write: ‘I thought so too way back then…’
L. Frank Baum’s original novel was adapted into the iconic 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz with Judy Garland, and then into the 1975 all-black Broadway musical The Wiz, which later became a film starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
One of the reasons the first Pride flag was a rainbow is that Judy, a noted gay icon, sang the song Over The Rainbow in her film of The Wizard Of Oz.
Wicked: Part One bowed in theaters last week on November 22, with Wicked: Part Two scheduled for release on November 21, 2025.
