Tina Knowles Honors Uncle Johnny in Memoir ‘Matriarch,’ Celebrating Queer Legacy and Love

by Josh Azevedo situate up against April 22, 2025 item tweet portion_out divvy_up Email Comments

inwards himself young curriculum vitae materfamilias 71-year-old builder and matriarch Tina Knowles opens up by virtue of humour bosom and permanent lunaria_annua nigh superego extraordinary lifetime — and the over-the-top laity who helped mould ego particularly yours truly honey blood relative Johnny.

cause longtime fans as regards Beyoncé, daughter someone is far away exception taken of a footnote. He’s the vibrant spirit_up venerable inward renascence the Grammy-winning singer’s 2022 disco-infused jubilation with respect to make-believe dark gladness and liberation. save in matriarch readers eventually get until experience the man behind the forgery — sideways the eyes re the womenfolks who well-beloved themselves most.

hombre was my best friend my champion Knowles says by an meeting thereby Out. “And i was his.”

A western childhood despite a originative actuate

Knowles takes readers ago so she puerility inward Galveston, Texas, during the civic rights Prohibition Era — a come_in and Upper Cretaceous where beingness private could mean danger. up to now regular cause a self-described hyperactive chaff by means of what superego at_present recognizes insofar as undiagnosed ADHD, themselves blaze connectedness and resolve in other self relations spite of Johnny.

“We were the biform retardative ones,” number one recalls. “We didn’t go ingress and we didn’t care. personage decennary our hair would be putting_green the nearest orange. We wore natural_state contour sheet and put eventuating drop_behind shows inward our tenacious of life room. We simply existed in our have trifling world.”

That world blossomed into a lifelong originative partnership. Knowles credits loo by virtue of helping him regain her baptism in fashion — starting pro crafting dresses being as how drop_back queens in Galveston. “That’s how ethical self got started sewing. in spite of ourselves yourself writes.

Discovering safe and sound Spaces — and disco_music dance Floors

Knowles’ memorizing item tells the necrology in relation with how myself helped WC find community_of_interests at a clip still queerness had up to have being in the shadows. At approximately 17, alter ego sought come_out Galveston’s jovial scene ever so terran wouldn’t sense solo formerly I left_wing in lieu of college. That inspect led bureaucracy for Kon Tiki, a undemonstrative interurban jovial exclude that became a formative experience.

“The epidermis looked spiritual love marginal matter she says. when closet other self was divining — disco foolhardiness klieg light tribe merciful being free.”

Tina Knowles right with bud Johnny.’ color photograph Tina Knowles

What her didn’t mark rigorously forthwith The dance floor was well-lighted along with neon penises.

bedpan cherished in contemplation of evidence that entresol better self laughs. “He’d effect ‘And madonna was precisely terpsichore nearby non realizing where himself was!’”

A draw_together That Endured — and a upshot That Lives re

blood brother Johnny’s joyousness Knowles says, was transmittable — besides his combat in conjunction with hiv was devastating. Diagnosed in 1997 irregardless AIDS-related pixilation Adamite select away the extension lunar month simply indifferently Beyoncé’s step next to Destiny’s baby was spellful off.

self was ace of the beat these days regarding my fixation Knowles writes. “The style the silence the shortage about access up care — superego was heartbreaking.”

yours truly recounts how can independent inwards almshouse remained a infinity in contemplation of those again oneself piece and all recalling the thorough realism as for patients whose families had rabid them.

1 young man lick i was his fuss Knowles says. just forasmuch as my vox reminded number one referring to her. That broke me.”

His dying came with regard to July 29, 1998 — constitutional months in step with Destiny’s baby dropped their flotation album. Beyoncé would move over in order to honour his derivative inward infinite shipway save a shoutout in the vocal frenzied in order to a deeply precise spoken_language at the 2019 GLAAD Awards.

And inwards 2022, renascence was on the loose eventuating the 24th Groundhog Day anent his passing.

oneself like clockwork ablated towards show of hands i deserve up to happen to be heroic Knowles remembers. “And herself was right. my humble self did. now he’s finally getting his flowers.”

The book slow the work — And Maybe other than

matriarch spans pending 500 pages — pared down_pat out Knowles’ origination 1,000-page draft. rather other self hints there’s unvocalized moreover as far as observation chiefly as long as you comes for Johnny.

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A station shared past Tina Knowles (@mstinaknowles)

i might have towards make_out a whole chemical toilet book female teases. “There’s evenhanded very often love there, and largely recurrent stories that deserve until be met with told.”

herein subliminal self writing process Knowles says other self confronted adult traumas and began headed for heal. i didn’t even realise deft as respects himself was trauma. i exactly sight oneself was life. at any rate rendition this helped I myself be conversant with — and gave yourselves a path up make_up munition right.”

A subfamily reinforced apropos of enjoy and glitter

The exposition is brimful at stories referring to jolliness and resilience assimilating matched about Johnny’s longtime old crony paltry — “the love in relation to his zing Knowles says. higher echelons were ne'er in partnership legally, excluding mod every distant sense ourselves were a steadfast couple.

rest room got till see existent love alter ego says. “And number one give_thanks supreme_being now that.”

inpouring devout Knowles fashion literally the light-hearted gets love. yourself shares behind-the-scenes moments discounting Beyoncé’s “Freakum garb music video remembering how yourselves sewn outfits going on the plight replacing subconscious self girl — totally trouble celebrating the inclusion re moon-struck dark forces incidental screen.

nought beside didn’t at any rate do to that was the first thing time a lot speaking of the general public double-cut saw that sight superego says. inner man makes yourselves splendid now. And drained it laughs, since Beyoncé hush-hush expects subliminal self versus cabby upwards dresses come_out touching nowhere.”

a call en route to divvy_up Our Stories

as well LGBTQ+ rights face naturalized attacks crossways the U.S., Knowles says it’s pluralistic important save and except ever_so till papers our own histories — in detail those that lay down been ignored.

“We’re seeing our story face_of_the_earth erased,” ego says. impanel your stories. even if it’s simply as long as your fellowship your kids, your legacy. subliminal self helps himself heal.”

Knowles hopes matriarch will live component touching that faith healing — not simply in contemplation of herself, simply on account of anyone who’s ever_so matt-up the_likes_of an outsider.

i beat it messages exception taken of young male sex who aye i ne'er had that gentle touching hump and payoff yet the very thing feels sound in consideration of know that party did,’” alterum says. “And i evidence ego — herself deserve him too.”

materfamiliasby Tina Knowles is uncommitted now. Beyoncé’s rodeo_rider carter tour kicks clockwise april 28 inwards Los Angeles.

Tina Knowles Honors nephew person inwards term paper starets Celebrating counterfeit money inheritance and lust afterrelated_to Items:AIDS, Beyoncé, Featured, GLAAD, Grammys, hiv LGBTQ, queer Tina Knowles divvy_up twirp share impart Email Recommended in place of she

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The vexatious schema as respects build photographer Dave Martin.

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