Beyonce was raised a Methodist Christian girl in Houston, Texas. She had somewhat of a privileged upbringing, which is evidenced by the fact that all of her immediate family members are registered Republicans–as is Beyonce.[1]
She has said of her childhood:
I grew up in a very nice house in Houston, went to private school all my life and I've never even been to the 'hood. Not that there's anything wrong with the 'hood.[2]
As is so often the case with the rich and famous, Beyonce doesn't seem to much identify with her Methodist upbringing, saying:
I am about faith and spirituality more so than religion. Doing right by others and not judging. The thing that keeps me grounded is knowing that I'm always protected and that God is in control of things. Even the name of our group, Destiny's Child, we got out of the Bible. . . For me it is about the way I carry myself and the way I treat other people. My relationship and how I feel about God and what he does for me is something deeply personal. It's where I came from. I was brought up in a religious household and that's very important to me.[3]
But if you're all into God and stuff, then don't you think yourhalf-naked ass all over the TV, billboards, magazines, the internet, and on stage is, like, maybe a problem? Of course not:
I honestly believe He [God] wants people to celebrate their bodies so long as you don't compromise your Christianity in the process.[4]
Political subject, but ignorance on politics
Beyonce's family is all Republican, but she sang at President Obama's inauguration party. It was a big controversy a few years back, but I don't know if it's really that big of a deal. She sang, she's a good singer. You know, you probably want good singers singing at your inauguration party.
But she doesn't get into politics. She admits to not knowing anything about politics. Yeah, that's fine. Money makes up for pretty much everything else, I guess. She said:
I played at the inauguration because there were a lot of kids in the audience that I wanted to reach, that's all. Maybe one day I will speak of my political beliefs, but only when I know what I'm talking about.[5]
It's actually quite refreshing and endearing for a major celebrity to admit a fault.
This isn't to say she doesn't care. Beyonce is very active in various charities, including her own Survivor Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.[6]
Even if she doesn't know it, Beyonce is quite the political force. There's even a class at Rutger's University called "Politicizing Beyonce." It's all about Beyonce as a political force in American society in terms of racial, gender, cultural, and sexual issues.[7]
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