HOME |
ABOUT | INDEX |
NEWS |
FACEBOOK |
CONTACT
MUSIC
Musicians
| Songs | Tunes | Bops
Movies and Film
Television Media
Digital|Online|Streaming
Arts|Entertainment|Theatre
Books and Publications
Magazines|Periodicals
Can Pop Music
Save Souls? Chappell Roan is Giving Us Hits and
Visibility
Youth Voices/It Gets Better Gives Their Endorsement
Chappell
Roan is a queer joy rebel teaching us all how to take up
space, love loudly, and unapologetically own our
identities.
Discovering Chappell Roan for the first time felt like
discovering magic — like finally finding a home in a
world that doesn't always make space for our stories. As
Youth Voices with It Gets Better, we come from different
backgrounds and places (two of us in this class are from
the Midwest). Still, we share something powerful: the
experience of seeing ourselves represented by someone
who not only exudes queer joy but demands respect for
it.
Chappell Roan is more than an artist who creates music
we love to scream-sing; she's a force of nature who
shows us what it looks like to take up space
unapologetically. Chappell's music has opened up a space
for conversations many of us have never had but honestly
needed. Songs like "Good Luck Babe" or "Hot to Go" make
it feel less awkward to talk about our crushes, love
lives, and identities with straight friends because she
broadcast the world of lesbian love into the mainstream.
When you feel alone in your sexual orientation and
unable to find community, a Chappell Roan song helps you
through.
What makes Chappell Roan special isn't just the joy she
radiates but how she uses that joy to uplift the queer
community. In an industry that often tokenizes or
sidelines LGBTQ artists, Chappell stands firm, demanding
respect for herself and all of us.
It's not often you see someone who has all the odds
stacked against them still persevere and create such a
substantial impact on the communities they're in. As a
woman, she speaks to all other women, saying they are
powerful, influential, and capable of achieving anything
they desire. As a queer person, she tells us we are
worthy of a voice, deserving of respect, and worthy of
generating joy in a world that may never understand us.
Because here's the truth: in a world that wants women
and LGBTQ people to quiet down, Chappell stands up and
speaks, and we think that's powerful. It's easy to let
people walk all over you.
Chappell has taught us to speak up for ourselves and
self-advocate — even when, as teenagers born into a
culture of insecurity, we instinctively start every
sentence with "I'm sorry." This year, we honor that
there is no need to apologize for our identities– and
that's because of Chappell.
When Chappell accepted the MTV Video Music Award for
Best New Artist, she dedicated it "to all the drag
artists who inspire me," the "queer and trans people who
fuel pop," and most memorably, "the queer kids in the
Midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you
because I'm one of you. And don't ever let anyone tell
you that you can't be exactly who you want to be." She
spoke directly to us, reminding us that success isn't
just about breaking through barriers—it's about ensuring
others can follow. Her insistence on elevating queer
voices shows us what it means to build a community where
everyone has the right to be heard.
Chappell Roan represents a world where queer identities
can be loud and proud, even in places that don't always
feel welcoming. She shows us queer joy is universal,
uniting us through shared experiences. She makes us feel
less alone and that anything is possible, no matter
where we're from, and that's a rare and beautiful gift.
Through every scream-your-heart-out lyric she writes,
Chappell cultivates joy. And in a time fraught with such
hate, political upheaval, and fear— we Youth Voices
believe that joy is precisely what we need. Time and
time again, 2024 has shown us that it's really easy to
scare people. Chappell does something different, which,
we would argue, is much more challenging: she uplifts.
Chappell Roan has given us more than music. She's given
us permission to be our full, unapologetic selves. She's
proof that our joy is a revolutionary act and that our
identities are worthy of celebration. Simply put, our
love for Chappell Roan is not casual; it's
all-consuming. Not just because of her pop-bangers but
because she stands up for the LGBTQ community when we
need her most.
The It Gets Better Youth Voices Class of 2025 is honored
to invite Chappell Roan to join our Joy Rebellion as our
Joy Rebel of the Year. Thank you, Chappell, for being a
champion for us all and for reminding us every day what
queer joy looks like.
[Source: Violet C and Kay T, Out Magazine, Dec 2024]
Can Pop Music Save Souls? Chappell Roan is Giving Us
Hits and Visibility
R&B Star Khalid Confirms He's Gay After Being Outed
Adam Lambert Performs "The Muffin Man" as Cher
Scissor Sisters on Reunion and Defiance
Jenny Shimizu Spills on Her Steamy Booty
Calls with Pop Icon Madonna in the 90s
Iconic
LGBTQ Music Collabs You Should Check Out
Dolly Parton: We Are The Champions/We
Will Rock You
Troye Sivan and Charli XCX Just Announced
Their 2024 “Sweat” Tour
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Songs by Trans and Nonbinary Artists You
Need on Your Playlist
Awesome Songs About Women Crushing on Women
Country Singer
Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual in New Post
Celebrating Pride Month
Maren Morris is celebrating Pride Month in a big
way...
In June 2024, the singer revealed that she is bisexual
and shared several photos of herself holding a pride
flag to mark the occasion. “Happy to be the B in LGBTQ,”
she wrote on Instagram. “Happy pride.”
The 34-year-old’s followers quickly took to the comments
to share their support....
“Crying! So happy for you! Happy Pride,” musician
Heather Mae wrote. “Love you so much Maren!”
singer Scott Hoying commented. Musician Allison
Ponthier penned the following message for Morris: “Happy
Pride! Thanks for being an inspiration and what a
special pride this one is.”
Many of Morris’ fans flooded the comments section with
loving messages. “Welcome to the fam!” one wrote.
Another said, “Yes Ma'am!! Happy Pride, Diva!”
Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual in Pride Month After
Divorcing Husband
Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual in Pride Month
Post
Maren Morris Comes Out as Bisexual in Pride Month Post:
Happy to be the B in LGBTQ
The Highwomen: If She Ever Leaves Me
The Highwomen: Redesigning Women
The Highwomen: The Chain
In October 2023, Morris filed for divorce from her
husband of five years, musician Ryan Hurd, citing
“irreconcilable differences.” The couple shares one
child, a 4-year-old son named Hayes. The divorce was
finalized in January.
While chatting with NBC Today Show's Willie Geist in
2022, the new mom said she experienced postpartum
depression and “a lot of identity crises” after her son
was born. “Not just being a new parent and a new mother
and dealing with postpartum depression for the first
time, and reeling from that, and trying to like find the
forest through the trees. But also just knowing my worth
without someone clapping for me,” she said.
In January 2023, Morris commented about the lack of
inclusivity in country music. “Coming from country music
and its relationship with LGBTQ members, I just want to
say I’m sorry,” she said during an appearance on
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked. “And I love you guys
for making me feel like a brave voice in country music.
So, I just thank you guys so much for inspiring me.”
While chatting with Ellen DeGeneres in 2021, Morris also
spoke about the need for inclusivity in her industry.
She specifically shouted out TJ Osborne of Brothers
Osborne, who had come out as gay that year. “I hope that
him having the bravery to even do that has made a few
more people that love country music that are gay feel
like they have a home there too,” she said. “I’m so
proud of him. He was one of my first friends when I
moved to Nashville eight years ago. He’s just so
talented, so kind. For him to put it all out there is
just, I’m not a sliver of that brave so I’m really proud
of TJ.”
Morris
performs solo and also is part of The Highwomen, an
American country music supergroup formed in 2019, in
which she performs alongside Brandi Carlile, Natalie
Hemby, and Amanda Shires. As a member of that music
group, she harmonized with Brandi in singing, what
songwriter Jason Isbel called a "lesbian country song."
[Source: Chrissy Callahan, NBC News, June 2024]
Guess by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
Coming Out: Lucy & La Mer, Boy Jr, Rorey,
Heather Mae, Camille Schmidt
Jason Mraz Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out Sooner: Being
Gay was Like a Punchline
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Queer Women Win Big at the 2024 Grammy
Awards
Mel B on the Spice Girls and Her Sexuality
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Former Child
Country Singer Billy Gilman Ties the Knot with Partner
Congratulations to former The Voice season 11
runner-up Billy Gilman and his partner Anthony Carbone
The country singer first came out in 2014 after close
friend Ty Herndon came out. At the time, Gilman said of
coming out: “Today a fellow country artist and friend
made it easier for me to make this video, and I wanted
my fans who have stuck by me for many, many years to
know.”
In August
2024, the two-time Grammy-nominated singer tied the knot
with his partner, Anthony Carbone, after they met
through mutual friends in 2022. The proposal took place
at a Pam Tillis concert, the very artist who inspired
Gilman to start his music career. Gilman fondly
remembers their engagement, saying he finally felt
“safe” and that he had found his “home.”
Talking about Gilman, Carbone shares: “Not only is he
the love of my life, but he became my best friend in
that moment, and to me, that’s, I think, the basis of
everything, and I think that’s how everything should
start.”
The lovely couple celebrated with an intimate ceremony,
inviting 115 guests, mostly close friends and family, in
a beautiful 45-acre horse farm in Rhode Island. Gilman
shared that they wanted to keep things simple and fun,
saying, “We want good people, great food, and great
music. That’s it. What else do you need?” Adding a
special touch to the ceremony, Gilman’s long-time best
friend, Kim Bruna, officiated, making the day even more
meaningful.
[Source: Instinct Magazine, August 2024]
Singer Khalid Comes Out as Gay After He
Was Outed
Former Child Country Singer Billy Gilman Ties the Knot
with Partner
Jason Mraz Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out Sooner: Being
Gay was Like a Punchline
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Kehlani Reminds Us All That They Are, Blessedly, Raging
Lesbian
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Dolly Parton: We Are The Champions/We
Will Rock You
Troye Sivan and Charli XCX Just Announced
Their 2024 “Sweat” Tour
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
Switzerland’s
Nemo Wins Eurovision Song Contest
Gayness
and Glitter on Stage While War Rages in Gaza
Swiss
singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on
Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic ode to the
singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender
identity.
The Eurovision Song Contest finally got down to musical
business in May 2024 in the Swedish city of Malmo after
days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the
feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure
cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
A raucous
Croatian rocker, a nonbinary Swiss performer with a
soaring voice and — contentiously — a young Israeli
singer with a powerful ballad were among acts from 25
countries vying for the continent’s musical crown.
The protests and dissent overshadowed a competition that
has become a campy celebration of Europe's varied — and
sometimes baffling — musical tastes and a forum for
inclusiveness and diversity with a huge LGBTQ following.
The competitors performed in front of a live audience of
thousands and an estimated 180 million viewers around
the world. Each contestant had three minutes to meld
catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacle into performances
capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.
Musical styles ranged across rock, disco, techno and rap
— sometimes a mashup of more than one.
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision 2024 Grand Final: Switzerland’s Nemo
Dominates, Becoming First Nonbinary Winner
Switzerland Wins Eurovision After Politically Charged
Song Contest Upstaged by Israel Controversy
UK’s Olly Alexander
Finishes 18th in Grand Final as Switzerland’s Nonbinary
Entrant Nemo Wins
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins Eurovision Song Contest After
Event Roiled by Protests Over Gaza War
Eurovision Goes Gay for Boxing as Olly Alexander Sings
in Dystopian Gym Locker Room
Swiss Singer Nemo Wins Controversy-Plagued Eurovision
Song Contest
Nemo Becomes First Non-Binary Artist to Win Eurovision
Switzerland Wins Eurovision After Politically Charged
Song Contest Overshadowed by Israel controversy
R&B Star Khalid Confirms He's Gay After Being Outed
Adam Lambert Performs "The Muffin Man" as Cher
Scissor Sisters on Reunion and Defiance
Former Child Country Singer Billy Gilman Ties the Knot
with Partner
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
Celebrate Pride All Month Long: 2024
Pride Playlist
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Queer Women Win Big at the 2024 Grammy
Awards
Mel B on the Spice Girls and Her Sexuality
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Dolly Parton: We Are The Champions/We
Will Rock You
Troye Sivan and Charli XCX Just Announced
Their 2024 “Sweat” Tour
Kehlani Reminds Us All That They Are, Blessedly, Raging
Lesbian
2024 Grammy Awards:
LGBTQ Winners
Good Queer Representation
Taylor
Swift took home album of the year at the 2024 Grammy
Awards for her album "Midnights," making her
the first person in history to win Album of the Year
four times, breaking her tie with Frank Sinatra, Paul
Simon and Stevie Wonder. Swift also won best pop vocal album.
Otherwise,
the 2024 Grammys belonged to queer women! Miley Cyrus,
Billie Eilish, Victoria Monét, Boygenius, and SZA all won
multiple Grammys, with queer women also dominating the
Americana and Roots categories. Out of the major
categories, Best New Artist, Song, Record, and Album of
the Year, queer women won three of them.
Victoria Monét, Phoebe
Bridgers & More LGBTQ Artists Lead the Way With 2024
Grammy Nominations
2024 Grammys Could be Historic
for a Number of LGBTQ Artists
Grammy's 2024: List of
Winners and Notable Moments
Queer Women Win Big at the 2024 Grammy Awards
Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman Perform
"Fast Car"
Boygenius Are Now Grammy Winners
The Infinite Gay Joy of Boygenius
Boygenius won three Grammys, for Alternative Music Album
for The Record, and Best Rock Song, and Best Rock
Performance for “Not Strong Enough.”
Phoebe Bridgers also won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group
Performance for “Ghost in the Machine with SZA.
17 years after she started in the music industry, Miley Cyrus
won her first Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for
the song “Flowers.” Then, later in the night, "Flowers"
and Cyrus also won Record of the Year.
Billie
Eilish’s first Grammy of the night was for Best Song
Written for Visual Media for “What Was I Made For?” from
Barbie: The Album. She also won Song of the Year for the
same song.
Victoria Monét won the Grammys for Best New Artist and
Best R&B Album for Jaguar II.
Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile! These two giants of
Americana music won the Grammy for Best Americana
Performance.
One of
the most memorable and moving performance moments
came when Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman teamed up to
sing "Fast Car." Luke Combs won Single of the
Year for his cover of Tracy Chapman's song.
Kylie Minogue Thanks Queer Fans
Here are the 2024 Grammy Award Winners
2024 Grammy Awards: Winners and Performances
Playlist of Certified Bops by Trans
Artists
Here's What the LGBTQ Celebs Wore to the 2024 Grammy
Awards
LGBTQ Celebs Who Walked the 2024 Grammy Awards Red
Carpet
Tracy Chapman Delighted Grammys Crowd With Surprise
Performance of ‘Fast Car’
Best Song - What Was I
Made For? by Billie Eilish, Finneas
Best Pop Solo Performance - Flowers by Miley Cyrus
Best Alternative Music Album - The Record by Boygenius
Best Rock Song - Not Strong Enough by Phoebe Bridgers,
Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus
Best New
Artist - Victoria Monét
Best R&B Album - Jaguar II by Victoria Monét
Best R&B Song - Snooze by SZA
Best Song Written for Visual Media - What Was I Made
For? by Billie Eilish, Finneas
Best Rock Performance - Not Strong Enough by Boygenius
Best Americana Performance - Dear Insecurity by Brandi
Carlile, Brandy Clark
Best Pop Dance Recording - Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue
Best Pop Duo/Group
Performance - Ghost in the Machine by SZA, Phoebe
Bridgers
Best Alternative Jazz Album - Omnichord Real Book by
Meshell Ndegeocello
Best
American Roots Performance - Eve Was Black by
Allison Russell
R&B Star Khalid Confirms He's Gay After Being Outed
Adam Lambert Performs "The Muffin Man" as Cher
Scissor Sisters on Reunion and Defiance
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Queer Women Win Big at the 2024 Grammy
Awards
Mel B on the Spice Girls and Her Sexuality
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
LGBTQ Music and Musicians
LGBTQ
music is more than just disco dance music for shirtless
men and brooding folk music for feminist women. Gay
rappers, gay rockers, gay country singers, and gay hip
hop stars are on the rise. Most notably, we are hearing
gay love songs, without disguise or apology.
Transgender performers are also going public. Previous
decades of music that included groundbreaking pioneers
like David Bowie, the Village People, George Michael,
Joan Jett, Boy George, Elton John, and Freddie Mercury
have given way to today's young, openly gay musicians
like Mary Lambert, Le1f, Troye Sivan, Brandi Carlisle,
Adam Lambert, Sam Smith, and Olly Alexander (Years and
Years).
LGBTQ
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) music is
music focusing on LGBTQ issues performed by LGBTQ
artists and performers. The lyrics are largely about
empowerment, same-sex relationships, love, acceptance,
freedom, gay pride and the courage to come out to the
general public. Starting in the 2010s, it became more
popular among American performers, as when openly-gay
artist Adam Lambert (from American Idol) topped the 2012
Billboard 200 chart.
Singer Khalid Comes Out as Gay After He
Was Outed
Kehlani Reminds Us All That They Are, Blessedly, Raging
Lesbian
Celebrate Pride All Month Long: 2024
Pride Playlist
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
Billie Eilish Says She’s Always Loved Girls: I Want My
Face in a Vagina
Troye Sivan and Charli XCX Just Announced
Their 2024 “Sweat” Tour
Morgxn is Proudly Queering Southern Music
Elton John Bids an Emotional Farewell as
He Ends His Final Tour
Wham! New Documentary Shows Temporal Nature of Youth
Songs From the 'Barbie' Movie Soundtrack
Girls Aloud: Camp and Chaotic
Queer Songs Will Make You Feel Something After a Breakup
G
Flip: Australian, Queer, Non-Binary
Songs by Trans and Nonbinary Artists You
Need on Your Playlist
Lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer music focuses on
the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a
product of the broad and ongoing gay liberation
movement.
LGBTQ music spans the entire spectrum of popular music.
Lyricism and song content typically express the
frustration, anxiety, and hope associated with
non-normative sexual and gender identities, offering
marginalized groups a vital platform for expression.
Recently, according to one observer, popular music has
"provided an arena where marginalized voices can be
heard and sexual identities shaped, challenged, and
renegotiated."
Mainstream
music has begun to reflect acceptance of queer
musicianship. Some queer icons are openly queer
identifying and have made impactful changes in the world
for LGBTQ people. Others are straight allies that have
expressed their support for the community.
Best Pride Albums of 2023
Best Albums by LGBTQ Artists of 2023
Best Songs By LGBTQ Artists In 2023
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Billie Eilish Says She’s Physically Attracted to Women
and Intimidated by Them
Sufjan Stevens Comes Out in Emotional
Note About New Album Dedicated to His Late Partner
Jason Mraz: Finding New Acceptance for His Sexuality
During His Divorce
Barry Manilow Breaks Elvis Presley's Las
Vegas Record
Jason Mraz on His Queer Identity, New Sounds, and
Feeling Like Dancing
Japanese Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out As Gay
Wham! New Documentary Shows Temporal Nature of Youth
Playlist of Certified Bops by Trans
Artists
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
While
popular music has always included LGBTQ artists, the
increasing social tolerance of the late 20th and early
21st century allowed such artists to come out publicly.
Early examples of this arose with the sexual liberation
movement, with artists such as Elton John, Village
People, Sylvester, Tom Robinson, Indigo Girls, KD Lang,
Melissa Etheridge, Freddie Mercury (Queen), David Bowie,
Little Richard, Billy Preston, and Marc Almond (Soft
Cell), among others.
In the
1980's, the exposure of openly LGBTQ artists became
richer, with artists such as Boy George (Culture Club),
George Michael (Wham), Frankie Goes to Hollywood,
Michael Stipe (REM), Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys), Dead
or Alive, Adam Bell (Erasure), and the B52s. We
also begin to see artists who are openly LGBTQ allies,
such as Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Sarah McLaughlin,
Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer, Jessica Lowndes and Gloria
Gaynor, among many others.
Jason Mraz Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out Sooner: Being
Gay was Like a Punchline
Kehlani Reminds Us All That They Are, Blessedly, Raging
Lesbian
Celebrate Pride All Month Long: 2024
Pride Playlist
Gayest Moments at the 2024 Grammy Awards
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Boy George and Ariana DeBose: “Electric Energy” from the
“Argylle” Movie
Always Be My Man by Billy Porter and Luke McFarland
2024 Golden Globes: LGBTQ Celebs Who Walked the Red
Carpet
Our Favorite Songs by LGBTQ Artists in 2023
Olly Alexander Representing UK at Eurovision 2024
Soul Train Awards Rename a Gendered Award to Honor
Janelle Monáe
Billie Eilish Confirms That She's Attracted To Women
Barry Manilow Breaks Elvis Presley's Las
Vegas Record
NPR Interview: Queer Rock Music Icon
Melissa Etheridge
Complete List Of Culture Club Albums And Discography
The 1990s saw a start of a fair introduction to
pro-LGBTQ laws, and artists condemning homophobia in their
music. Groups such as Placebo, Alcazar, Right Said Fred, and
more joined the ranks of allies and LGBTQ musicians. The
1990s also introduced Ani DeFranco, Sia, Rufus Wainwright,
Ray Boltz, Two Nice Girls (Gretchen Phillips), Skin (Skunk
Anansie), Sophie B Hawkins, Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic
Fields), Kaia Wilson, Carrie Brownstein, and Rostam
Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend).
The 2000s saw LGBTQ music branch off into its own genre
in some cases, and new artists like Will Young, The Scissor
Sisters, The Gossip, Jay Brennan, RuPaul, Jeffree Star,
Blood on the Dance Floor (duo), Lady Gaga, Patrick Wolf,
Mika, Dario, Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert, Sam Sparrow,
Billy Gilman, tATu, Kent James, Dawnstar, and Troye Sivan.
We also heard LGBTQ-friendly music from such allies as Katy
Perry and Christina Aguilera.
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
The Infinite Gay Joy of Boygenius
Mel B on the Spice Girls and Her Sexuality
Awesome Songs About Women Crushing on Women
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Sufjan Stevens Seems to Come Out, Dedicating His New
Album to His Late Partner
Barry Manilow Breaks Elvis Presley's Las
Vegas Record
Jason Mraz Opens Up About Accepting his Queer Identity
Queer Songs Will Make You Feel Something After a Breakup
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
Queer Artists Using Their Music to Fight
for LGBTQ Rights
Chris Colfer: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
In the 2010s,
openly-gay artists such as Sam Smith, Azealia Banks, Mary Lambert,
Matt Morris, Frank Ocean, Tegan & Sara, Todrick Hall, Troye Sivan,
and rapper Le1f (Khalif Diouf) gained popularity. Well-established
country music singer Chely Wright came out as gay in 2010. Another
country singer, Ty Herndon, came out as gay in 2014, after three
number one hits on Billboard Hot Country Songs. Currently, the
country music genre also includes Cameron Hawthorn, Brandon Stansell,
and Lil Nas X. 2012 also saw Laura Jane Grace (lead singer of the
punk band Against Me!) come out as transgender. We also see the rise
of many LGBTQ allies in the music world: Beyonce, Taylor Swift,
Jennifer Lopez, Matt Nathanson, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson,
Macklemore, Pink, and Dan Reynolds.
Current
popular LGBTQ musicians include Angel Haze, Shamir, Who
is Fancy, Perfume Genius, Double Duchess, Lowell,
Devouring Mothers, Kindness, Joshua Thomas, Years &
Years, Hurray for Riff Raff, Panic! At The Disco, Miss
Bunny, Hayley Kiyoko, Kim Petras, Alyson Stoner, Boytoy,
Kehlani, Sizzy Rocket, Vincint, King Princess, Janelle
Monae, and black country rapper Lil Nas X.
LGBTQ Playlist
We Belong by Mary
Lambert
Guess by Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
Brandi and Catherine Carlile - You and Me on the Rock
Billie Eilish - Lunch
Ben Platt - Cherry On Top
JoJo Siwa - Karma
St. Vincent - Fast Slow Disco
Country Singer Chris Housman: Guilty as Sin
Girl in Red - I'm Doing It Again Baby
Jess Glynne - Enough
St Vincent – Broken Man
Katie Pruitt - All My Friends
Boy George and Ariana DeBose: “Electric Energy” from the
“Argylle” Movie
Always Be My Man by Billy Porter and Luke McFarland
No
More Blues by FreenBecky
Won't Give Up - Yoyo Ma, Pattie Gonia,
Quinn Christopherson
Charli XCX & Sam Smith - In The City
Reneé Rapp - Pretty Girls
Morgan Wade: Fall In Love With Me
Boys Will Be Girls by Derek Webb
(featuring Flamy Grant)
Garrett Clayton - Barbie Boys
Billie Eilish: What Was I Made For?
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile -
Closer To Fine
Dolly Parton - We Are The Champions/We
Will Rock You
Troye Sivan - Rush
Handle It by Colton Ford
Reneé Rapp - Talk Too Much
Vibrant Tapestry
of the LGBTQ Music Scene
History of Resilience
The LGBTQ music scene is a rich and diverse tapestry
woven with threads of talent, resilience, and a powerful
message of love and acceptance. It has been a crucial
platform for queer artists to express their identities,
experiences, and emotions through the universal language
of music. Over the years, this scene has evolved,
expanded, and continues to be a source of empowerment
and inspiration for both LGBTQ individuals and their
allies.
The LGBTQ music scene has deep roots in the struggle for
equal rights and recognition. Queer artists have used
their music as a means to challenge societal norms,
advocate for LGBTQ rights, and celebrate their
identities. Icons like Sylvester, whose disco hits in
the 1970s became anthems of self-expression and freedom,
paved the way for future generations of LGBTQ musicians.
Celebrate Pride All Month Long: 2024
Pride Playlist
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
The Infinite Gay Joy of Boygenius
Boy George and Ariana DeBose: “Electric Energy” from the
“Argylle” Movie
Jason Mraz on His Queer Identity, New Sounds, and
Feeling Like Dancing
Sufjan Stevens Dedicates New Album to Late Beloved
Partner
How the LGBTQ Community has Influenced the Music
Industry
Taylor Swift's New Man Is Transgender
Demi Lovato's New Album: Holy Fvck
Jason Mraz: Finding New Acceptance for His Sexuality
During His Divorce
Same Old Country Love Song by Brian Falduto
Queen and Adam Lambert at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum
Jubilee
Rise of LGBTQ Icons - As the LGBTQ community gained
greater visibility and acceptance, more and more artists
felt empowered to come out and celebrate their
identities openly. Artists like Elton John, Freddie
Mercury, and George Michael are just a few examples of
LGBTQ icons who broke barriers, inspired millions, and
demonstrated that music transcends sexual orientation.
Genre Diversity - The LGBTQ music scene spans a wide
range of genres, ensuring there is something for
everyone. From the pop anthems of Lady Gaga and Madonna
to the soulful sounds of Frank Ocean and Sam Smith, and
the powerful lyrics of queer hip-hop artists like Frank
Ocean, Janelle Monáe, and Lil Nas X, there's no shortage
of talent representing LGBTQ experiences across musical
landscapes.
Empowering Anthems - The LGBTQ music scene has been a
source of empowerment for both artists and listeners.
Songs like "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga and "Same Love"
by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have become anthems of
self-acceptance and love, offering a sense of belonging
and encouragement to LGBTQ individuals worldwide.
Jason Mraz Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out Sooner: Being
Gay was Like a Punchline
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Sufjan Stevens Dedicates New Album to Late Beloved
Partner
Barry Manilow Breaks Elvis Presley's Las
Vegas Record
NPR Interview: Queer Rock Music Icon
Melissa Etheridge
Jason Mraz on His Queer Identity, New Sounds, and
Feeling Like Dancing
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Dolly Parton: We Are The Champions/We
Will Rock You
Elton John Bids an Emotional Farewell as
He Ends His Final Tour
Wham! New Documentary Shows Temporal Nature of Youth
Songs From the 'Barbie' Movie Soundtrack
Queer Songs Will Make You Feel Something After a Breakup
G
Flip: Australian, Queer, Non-Binary
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Complete List Of Culture Club Albums And Discography
Platform for Queer Voices
- One of the most significant contributions of the LGBTQ
music scene is its role in amplifying queer voices and
stories. LGBTQ artists use their music to share their
experiences, struggles, and triumphs, allowing listeners
to connect on a deeply personal level. This
representation is essential in promoting understanding
and acceptance.
Celebrating Diversity - The LGBTQ music scene is not
monolithic. It celebrates the diversity within the LGBTQ
community itself, with artists representing various
gender identities, sexual orientations, races, and
backgrounds. This diversity fosters inclusivity and
shows that queer experiences are as diverse as the
individuals who live them.
The LGBTQ music scene is a testament to the power of
music as a tool for change, empowerment, and
celebration. It has played a vital role in the fight for
LGBTQ rights and continues to be a source of
inspiration, comfort, and joy for LGBTQ individuals and
their allies worldwide. As the scene evolves, it reminds
us that love, acceptance, and self-expression are
universal themes that connect us all, regardless of who
we are or who we love.
The Infinite Gay Joy of Boygenius
Songs From the 'Barbie' Movie Soundtrack
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
From Big Bops to Hidden Gems: Old and New
Songs You Need to be Blasting this Summer
Brooke Eden Couldn't Find A Perfect Song
For Her Wedding, So She Wrote One Herself
Singer Scott Hoying Marries Model Boyfriend Mark Manio
Ricky Martin and Husband Jwan Yosef
Divorcing After Six Years of Marriage
Alone by Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj
Charli XCX - Boys (Live at Coachella)
Biggest LGBTQ Music Moments of 2022
Closer to Fine: Brandi & Catherine Carlile (Live)
Best Songs By Queer Artists in 2022
Songs by Trans and Nonbinary Artists You
Need on Your Playlist
LGBTQ Playlist
Scott Hoying - Parallel
Rosemary Joaquin - Erika
Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was
Your Lover
American Life by Madonna
Adam Lambert - You Make Me Feel Mighty
Real
Janelle Monáe - Lipstick Lover
Eugene McGuinness - Joshua
Maddie Zahm - You Might Not Like Her
Zolita - Ruin My Life
Jules Paymer - Mommy Issues
Chloe Moriondo - Fruity
Dove Cameron - Boyfriend
The Drums - What We Had
Boy George: Something Strange Called Love
Miley Cyrus: Flowers
Adam Lambert: Holding Out for a Hero
Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam
George Michael - Fastlove
Good Looking by Dixon Dallas
Wrabel - The Village (with Choreography)
Wrabel - The Village (Solo)
Billie Eilish Says
She is Attracted to Women
She
has been giving off a gay vibe for some time...
Billie Eilish has sort of, maybe, probably come
out multiple times by now, but a recent interview
confirms her attraction to women. The singer turned
heads in November 2023 when she posted a selfie with an
Instagram filter over her face reading “Gay & Tired.”
This was just one of a number of instances where she has
signaled to fans via social media that she’s
not-so-straight, previously alluding to being “fruity,”
talking about having crushes on Sarah Michelle Gellar
and Maya Hawke, and writing “i love girls” on an
Instagram post.
For some fans, all of this has been more than enough to
suggest Eilish was coming out without making a big show
of it, while others pushed back at the “speculation,”
demanding she still be considered straight—the last
label she had explicitly claimed years ago—until she
says otherwise.
Billie Eilish Confirms That She's Attracted To Women
Billie Eilish Says She's Attracted To Women For Real
Billie Eilish Says: Wasn’t it obvious?
Billie Eilish Says She’s Physically Attracted to Women
and Intimidated by Them
Billie Eilish: Interview with Variety
A recent interview with Variety doesn’t exactly see the
“What Was I Made For?” singer slap a new label on
herself, but she was a little more forthcoming about her
attractions.
“I’ve never really felt like I could relate to girls
very well,” she said. “I love them so much. I love them
as people. I’m attracted to them as people. I’m
attracted to them for real.”
Clarifying further, she added that she has “deep
connections with women,” citing friends and family,
before taking it another step.
“I’m physically attracted to them,” she added. “But I’m
also so intimidated by them and their beauty and their
presence.”
Fans who previously picked up on the very obvious
“hints” Eilish was throwing down have expressed relief,
hoping this will make people think twice about
defaulting to heteronormativity or expecting celebrities
to spell everything out in order to be considered
anything other than straight. (It won’t.)
[Source: Rachel Kiley, Pride, Nov 2023]
Awesome Songs About Women Crushing on Women
Kehlani Reminds Us All That They Are, Blessedly, Raging
Lesbian
Celebrate Pride All Month Long: 2024
Pride Playlist
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Becky Armstrong: Daylight Taylor Swift Cover
Interview with Adam Lambert
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
Playlist of Certified Bops by Trans
Artists
Yo-Yo Ma Just Released a Song With a Drag Queen and an
Indigenous Trans Musician
Laura Jane Grace's New Single Is An Ode to the "Dysphoria
Hoodie"
Tyler Childers: The Making of the "In Your Love" Music
Video
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile
Singing Indigo Girls Cover of Closer To Fine
Stunning Year for Brandi Carlile
Elton John Says Goodbye In Triumphant
Last-Ever US Concert At Dodger Stadium
All the LGBTQ 2023 Grammy Nominees We’re
Rooting For
LGBTQ Playlist
Kylie Sonique Love: True Colors
Rainbowland by Miley Cyrus and Dolly
Parton
Chappell Roan - Red Wine Supernova
G
Flip - Be Your Man
Baby Queen - Dream Girl
Brooke Eden - Outlaw Love
Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine
Fletcher - Her Body is Bible
Jay Brannan - Housewife
Dog Park Dissidents - Host
George Michael - Jesus to a Child
Sub-Radio - King Of My Heart
Adam Lambert: Do You Really Want to Hurt
Me
Face it Alone by Queen
Lovely Day by Demi Lovato
The Radio Dept - David
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
George Michael - Freedom 90
Elton John Bids
Farewell
Elton John bids an emotional farewell as he ends his
final tour
With
glitz, glam and golden confetti, Elton John performed on
tour for the last time. After 50 years on the
road, Elton John has officially bid farewell to his
touring career. In July 2023, the 76-year-old music icon
completed his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour after
performing hits like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Tiny
Dancer,” and “Your Song” throughout his 23-song set.
The tour, which began on September 10, 2018 — but was
halted in 2020 for nearly two-years due to the pandemic
— has traveled across North America, Europe and
Australia, concluding in Stockholm, Sweden in front of
thousands of fans.
Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road
Elton John Bids Farewell to the Road with the Last Show
on his Goodbye Tour
Elton John Wraps Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Elton John Bids an Emotional Farewell as He Ends His
Final Tour
Elton John Performs Live for Last Time at End of
Farewell Tour
After more than half a century on the road and an
unparalleled career that has redefined the cultural
landscape and seen him claim his place as a true global
icon, Elton John announced that it was time to come off
the road so he could fully embrace the next important
chapter of his life and dedicate more time to his
family.
The
Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour subsequently broke
records, pushed boundaries and shattered expectations in
a five year period of celebratory activity that
solidified Elton’s status in the very highest echelons
of popular culture across the generations.
"Rocket Man"
"Your
Song"
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
"Candle in the Wind"
"Bennie and the Jets"
"Philadelphia Freedom"
"Tiny Dancer"
"Sad Songs Say So Much"
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
"Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
"I'm Still Standing"
"Crocodile Rock"
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
Singer
Brandi Carlile said, “You did it, Captain! incredible
work ethic and stamina." She added, “Proud to know you
everyday.”
John’s goodbye, a moment fans have been anticipating for
almost five years, finally arrived when he closed the
show with “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” during his encore.
He described his farewell show in Sweden as “magical.”
“I’m trying to process it, and I don’t think it will
sink in for a while yet that I’m finally finished
touring,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much I’m going
to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled
me — it will stay with me forever.”
Jason Mraz Explains Why He Didn’t Come Out Sooner: Being
Gay was Like a Punchline
New Gay Bops You Need to Add to Your Pride Playlist
Jennifer Lawrence Honors Orville Peck at
the GLAAD Media Awards
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
G
Flip: Australian, Queer, Non-Binary
Ricky Martin Divorcing Husband Jwan Yosef After 6 Years
of Marriage
Best (and Gayest) Original Songs From Movies
New Sapphic Pride Anthems
Playlist: Gay Guys Share Their Favorite MLM Songs
Brothers Osborne: Younger Me
How Freddie Mercury Inspired a Generation
of LGBTQ Artists
Hank Williams Jr.’s Son Sam Williams
Comes Out
Tribute to Elton John:
HerMusic, Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato
Chloe Moriondo with James
Cordon: I Want to Be With You
That's What I Want by Lil
Nas X
Billboard: Top LGBTQ Songs
of 2020
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
LGBTQ Playlist
Unholy by Sam Smith and Kim Petras
Subway by Amy Ray
Stohner - Man on Man
Sam Smith: I'm Not Here To Make Friends
She Used To Be Mine by Sara Bareilles and
Brandi Carlile
Lauren Jauregui: Always Love
Heather Peace: The Weekend
Wrabel - Poetry
Better Version by Fletcher and Kelsea
Ballerini
Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You
John Grant - Caramel
Breakfast by Dove Cameron
All The Things She Said by t.A.T.u.
Sophie B. Hawkins: Damn I
Wish I Was Your Lover
Eurovision Song
Contest: Beloved by the LGBTQ Community
Gay Christmas... Gay World Cup... Gay Olympics...
Deliciously queer celebration of campness and
creativity...
In 1956,
seven European countries – Belgium, France, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and West
Germany – gathered in Lugano, Switzerland for the first
ever Eurovision Song Contest. The competition was only
broadcast in select countries, meaning only a small
number of viewers watched Swiss entry Lys Assia win the
grand prize with the song Refrain. Over the years, the
contest has become a glitzy, kitschy spectacle of both
the beautiful and the bizarre, drawing in over 160
million viewers at the 2022 event. In 2023, Eurovision
returned to the UK.
As well as
the contest’s overall transition from small show to huge
spectacle, Eurovision has also developed a dedicated and
passionate fandom over the years, many of whom are
members of the LGBTQ community.
In a recent BBC article, journalist Jamie McLoughlin
labeled Eurovision a “safe space” for LGBTQ communities,
noting how Eurovision consistently lays a “thoroughly
supportive hand” on LGBTQ people in Europe. LGBTQ fans
have affectionately likened Eurovision to other major
events, with descriptions such as “Gay Christmas”, “the
Gay World Cup” and “the Gay Olympics”.
Hannah Waddingham’s most iconic Eurovision 2023 moments:
The real Queen of England
Is Eurovision a Gay Event?
The Gay World Cup: Why LGBTQ Audiences Love Eurovision
How Eurovision Became an LGBTQ Safe Space
Why Eurovision is Beloved by the LGBTQ Community
Mae Muller Reflects on Her Eurovision 2023 Journey
Gustaph: Gay Belgian Eurovision Star
But why is Eurovision so popular among LGBTQ
communities? Many have related LGBTQ (particularly gay
male) admiration for Eurovision in its “camp” nature and
reliance on excess. The performativity and
extravagance of Eurovision undeniably represents this
notion of camp, with vibrant performances and
over-the-top presentations. This contrasts with
Eurovision’s early days when there was very little LGBTQ
visibility in music or on television.
Camp can represent the sense of subcultural community
through the “gaying” of straight culture. Although there
was no actual representation in the beginnings of
Eurovision, LGBTQ communities adapted for their own
purposes and needs, using the joy of the song contest as
a means to celebrate diversity.
In recent years we have been introduced to many LGBTQ
participants in an age of increased visibility in both
music and television. In 1998, Dana International made
history as the first transgender winner for Israel – an
incredible achievement considering the lack of trans
representation at the time.
Hannah Waddingham’s Most Iconic Eurovision 2023 Moments:
The Real Queen of England
Is Eurovision a Gay Event?
The Gay World Cup: Why LGBTQ Audiences Love Eurovision
How Eurovision Became an LGBTQ Safe Space
Why Eurovision is Beloved by the LGBTQ Community
Mae Muller Reflects on Her Eurovision 2023 Journey
Gustaph: Gay Belgian Eurovision Star
In 2007, Ukranian drag queen Verka Serduchka impressed
audiences with the catchy Dancing Lasha Tumbai, placing
second in the grand final. In fact, the art of drag
would continue to be popular with Eurovision audiences,
when Conchita Wurst won the contest for Austria with
Bond-like ballad Rise Like a Phoenix in 2014.
There have also been a number of memorable moments of
LGBTQ representation during the event. In 2013,
Finland’s entry Krista Siegfrids kissed a female dancer
during her grand final performance of Marry Me, a
protest against her government’s rejection of same-sex
marriage. In an interview afterwards, Siegfrids declared
that the performance was structured to promote “love and
tolerance.”
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
The Infinite Gay Joy of Boygenius
New Sapphic Pride Anthems
From Big Bops to Hidden Gems: Old and New
Songs You Need to be Blasting this Summer
Janelle Monáe: Lipstick Lover
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Kylie Sonique Love: True Colors
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
Jake Wesley Rogers: Pop’s Latest Queer Gem
Gay Pop Legend George Michael to Be
Immortalized in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Favorite Songs by LGBTQ Artists in 2022
Pop Icon Mika was Told His Music was Too Gay by Industry
Homophobes
Miley Admits She Prefers Dating Girls For
Several Good Reasons
Queen Releases Unheard Song Featuring Freddie Mercury's
Vocals
Laith Ashley Plays Taylor Swift's Love Interest in New
Music Video
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
LGBTQ Playlist
Secrets by Mary Lambert
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
Alone by Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj
The Good by Cynthia Erivo
Love Yourself by Sophie B. Hawkins
Scream by G Flip
Adam Lambert: Holding Out for a Hero
Born to be a Queen by Todrick Hall
Adore You by Harry Styles
Believe (Tribute to Cher) by Adam Lambert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: I Will
Survive
Red by Grace Gaustad
Country Radio by the Indigo Girls
Trans Singer Kim
Petras Makes Grammy Award History
LGBTQ artists were among the winners... Best
Album - Harry Styles... Best Pop Duo Performance -
Sam Smith and Kim Petras... Best Rock Song -
Brandi Carlile... Best Americana Album - Brandi
Carlile
Pop star
Kim Petras made trans history in February 2023 with her
Grammy Award win with Sam Smith for their song "Unholy."
The two won the award for best pop or group performance.
Petras is the first trans woman to win the award.
Smith, who is nonbinary, won their first Grammy in 2015.
They've won four Grammys so far. In October, Sam Smith
and Kim Petras' hit song reached the number one spot on
the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As reported by Billboard,
Smith and Petras are "the first publicly nonbinary and
transgender soloists, respectively, to top the Hot 100."
Kim Petras Makes Transgender History With
Grammy Win
Kim Petras and Sam Smith: Acceptance Speech
Kim Petras Makes Grammy History and Fans
are Elated
Unholy by Kim Petras and Sam Smith: Music Video
Kim Petras Gives Moving Speech at Grammy Awards
After the two were announced as winners at the Grammy
ceremony, Petras gave a speech thanking trans women in
music who paved the way for her win as well as for
Smith's support. “I just wanted to thank all the
incredible transgender legends before me who kicked
these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,”
Petras said. The singer also honored the late
Grammy-nominated producer Sophie who died in 2021.
“SOPHIE, especially. My friend who passed away two years
ago, who told me this would happen and always believed
in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie. I
adore you and your inspiration will forever be in my
music.”
She gave a shout out to LGBTQ icon Madonna. “I don’t
think I could be here without Madonna,” Petras said,
referring to the pop legend's outspoken activism for
queer rights and art.
Madonna Hails Troublemakers And Rebels As She Pays
Tribute To Sam Smith And Kim Petras
Beyonce Gives Heartfelt Tribute to Queer Community
Sam Smith And Kim Petras Make LGBTQ History With Major
Grammy Win
Sam Smith & Kim Petras' Historic Grammy Performance
Sam Smith And Kim Petras: Fiery Performance Of 'Unholy'
Petras also thanked her mother for supporting her
through her career. “I grew up next to a highway in
nowhere Germany, and my mother believed me that I was a
girl and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support
and everyone who believed in me to this point.”
Producer and creative DJ Honey Dijon, who is also a
trans woman, was nominated this year for a Grammy for
Beyoncé’s celebrated album "Renaissance." Beyonce
remarked, "Thank you to the Queer community for
inventing this music genre."
[Source Alex Cooper, Advocates, Feb 2023]
Long Cast Aside, Queer Women are Starting
to Get Their Due From the Music Industry
Brandi Carlile Performs “You and Me on
the Rock” with her Wife Catherine Carlile
Patrick Haggerty: Singer Who Recorded
First Gay Country Songs Dies at 78
New Song: Face it Alone by Queen
Songs by Trans and Nonbinary Artists You Need on Your
Playlist
Now That's What I Call Music Releases
Pride Edition With These Queer Hits
Kelsea Ballerini at CMT Awards with Drag
Queens
Love Rising: Artists Performing at
Nashville's LGBTQ Rights Concert
AGT All-Stars 2023: Adam Lambert Performs
"Chandelier"
How This Year’s Grammys Celebrated LGBTQ
Artists and Allies
Awesome Songs About Women Crushing on Women
LGBTQ Playlist
Reminds Me by Kim Petras
I Am Her by Shea Diamond
Lauren Jauregui: Always Love (Live)
Dear Boys by FELIN
Constant Craving by KD Lang
Boy George: Freedom
Queen: We Will Rock You (Live in Budapest
1986)
Watermelon Sugar by Harry
Styles
Happy Together by Mark Ronson and King Princess
Colours by MNEK and Hailee Steinfeld
Honey by Kehlani
Some Call it Magic by
Raven-Symone
Queen: These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Cher: If I Could Turn Back Time
David Bowie: John I'm Only Dancing
2022 Rock & Rock Hall of
Fame
"I'm the
gay guy in the band."
-Rob
Halford
The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony to take place in November 2022. The heavy metal
band Judas Priest was finally inducted. Other inductees
included Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem,
Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, and Harry
Belafonte.
In his
acceptance speech, Judas Priest lead vocalist, Rob
Halford said, "I'm the gay guy in the band." He went on
to explain that the "heavy-metal community is
all-inclusive, no matter what your sexual identity, how
you look, the color of your skin, what you believe in.
Everyone is welcome."
Jason Mraz Opens Up About Accepting his Queer Identity
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Lesbian Pop Star Zolita Talks Latest
Single
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
Country Singer Sam Williams, Son of Hank Williams Jr,
Comes Out as Gay
Essential Queer Albums for
Pride
Industry Baby by Lil Nas X
Essential Gay Anthems Perfect for Pride
Month
Adam Lambert on Tonight Show: Do You
Really Want to Hurt Me
REM's Losing My Religion: Story Behind the Song
Trans Documentary: The Kim
Petras Story
Interview: Mary Lambert
Playlist: Gay Guys Share Their Favorite MLM Songs
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the
Way
Beyonce's New
Album: Homage to Gay Black Music and Musicians
Featuring
Many Black LGBTQ Collaborators
After six years, Beyoncé released her latest album in
July 2022. Renaissance Act I is the first of a promised
three-act project. Created during the pandemic, the star
set out to create a project that allowed her “to dream
and find escape.” As such, she worked to “create a safe
place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of
perfectionism and overthinking,” she wrote in a note. “A
place to scream, release, feel freedom.” References to
the LGBTQ community are found throughout the escapist
album, as is the work of queer collaborators.
Beyoncé's Genius Way of Putting the Pride Flag in
Renaissance
Break My Soul by Beyonce
Beyoncé Dedicates Album Renaissance to Late Gay Uncle
Rolling Stone: Review of Beyoncé’s Renaissance Album
Beyoncé Thanks Her Gay Uncle in New Album
Fans Loves Beyonce's New Album
Beyoncé's New Album 'Renaissance' Pays Homage to Black
Queer Music History
Most notably, in her song “Cozy,” the second of the
album, Bey paints the colors of the Progress Pride flag.
The flag, which was an update on the original design,
aims to “bring to the forefront marginalized LGBTQ
people of color, trans people, and those living
with/lost to HIV/AIDS.”
Before Renaissance Act I’s release, Beyoncé wrote that
she wanted to give “a big thank you to my uncle Jonny.
He was my godmother and the person to expose me to a lot
of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for
this album.” She continued: “Thank you to all of the
pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen
angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for
far too long. This is a celebration for you.”
The “Uncle Jonny” Beyoncé refers to was her cousin but
she and her sister, Solange, referred to him as their
uncle. In 2019 Beyoncé dedicated her GLAAD award to him,
and has spoken about how he helped make some of her
early costumes and the emotional experience of watching
him die from AIDS-related complications. She shouted out
his costume work at the end of “Heated.”
The album comes full of samples from LGBTQ talent as
well. "Cozy" includes a production credit by Honey
Dijon, an iconic DJ and producer that is trans. (She
also did production work on “Alien Superstar.”) In
“Cozy” she uses the voice of TS Madison, an equally
legendary trans entrepreneur, host, and actress. It’s
pulled from a video where Madison talks about how proud
she is to be Black.
Many are
already aware of Big Freedia’s inclusion. The lead
single of Renaissance Act I was “Break My Soul” which
includes a sample of Big Freedia’s “Explode” throughout.
What fans didn’t know is that Big Freedia’s voice would
be used at the end of the preceding song, “Energy.”
“Pure/Honey” brings explicitly ballroom vibes that many
expected from the project. It begins with a sample of DJ
Mike Q’s track “Feels Like” featuring Kevin Jz Prodigy.
It then goes on to include Kevin Aviance’s “Cunty” and
Moi Renee’s “Ms. Honey.”
Syd, a lesbian musician and producer who rose to fame
with the group The Internet, is also credited as the
sole producer on “Plastic Off the Sofa” outside of
Beyoncé.
[Source: Mikelle Street, Advocate Magazine, July 2022]
B-52s' Love Shack: Story Behind The Song
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Songs About Gender Identity and Gender
Expression
Transgender and Non-Binary Artists You Need to Know
Americans by Janelle Monae
Lesbian Tunes: New Sapphic Pride Anthems
Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys: Beautiful
Noise
Indigo Girls: Go (March for Our Lives)
Billy Porter and Stephen Stills Perform at Dem National
Convention
March March: Protest Song by The Chicks
Complete List Of Culture Club
Albums And Discography
LGBTQ Playlist
She by Hayley Kiyoko
These Are the Days of Our Lives by Freddie Mercury
Bloom by Troye Sivan
Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
Private Idaho by B52s
Tell Him by Brian Justin Crum and Matt
Bloyd
George Michael: I Can't Make You Love Me (Live)
Thank God You Introduced Me to Your Sister by Sarah
Barrios
I
Fucking Love You by Zolita
It Gets Better by Broadway Stars
People Like Us by Kelly Clarkson
Look Away by Eli Lieb & Steve Grand
Popular LGBTQ
Musicians
Melissa
Etheridge
Amy Ray
(Indigo Girls)
Emily
Saliers (Indigo Girls)
KD Lang
Sam Smith
Janelle
Monae
Elton John
Michael
Stipe (REM)
Brandi
Carlile
Queen
Latifah
Jake
Shears (Scissors Sisters)
Jakk Fynn
Leland
Doug
Strahm (Country Music)
Young MA
Julien
Baker
Tom
Robinson
Meshell
Ndegeocello
Miley
Cyrus
Lil Nas X
(Country Music Rapper)
TJ
Osbourne (Brothers Osbourne)
Marika
Hackman
Billy
Gilman
|
Billie
Eilish
Rob
Halford (Judas Priest)
Sylvester
Brendon
Urie (Panic! At The Disco)
Jason Mraz
Bad Bunny
Todrick
Hall
Trey
Pearson (Christian Music)
Mario Jose
Ray Boltz
Brittany
Howard (Alabama Shakes)
Mary
Lambert
Angel Haze
Hurray for
the Riff Raff
Da Brat
(Rapper)
Queen
Sateen
Ryan
Beatty
Tash
Sultana
Jamie
Wyatt (Country Music)
Kevin
Abstract
Omar
Apollo
Mitch
Grassi (Pentatonix)
Scott Hoying (Pentatonix)
|
Y'all Means All (Queer Eye): Miranda
Lambert
Lesbian Singers Who Paved the Way
Songs About Gender Identity and Gender
Expression
Brandi Carlile's New Album: In These
Silent Days
Amy Ray: Count Your Blessings
Love Yourself by Sophie B. Hawkins
Out Rocker Darren Hayes Opens Up about the Torment of
the Closet
Music, Movies, Media:
Celebrate LGBTQ Pride
New Music Revue: Kacey Musgraves, Troye
Sivan, Lana Del Rey, Chlöe and More
Cher, Elton John, Bette Midler, Flip Wilson
Cynthia Erivo Reveals Why She Waited to
Come Out as Bisexual
Angel Olsen: Big Time
Kim Petras Gives Moving Speech at Grammys
Jason Mraz Opens Up About Accepting his Queer Identity
Lucy
Spraggin
Rugus
Wainwright
Le1f
Azealia
Banks
Mark
Freehily (Westlife)
Tom Goss
Sia
Chely
Wright (Country Music)
Laura Jane
Grace
Mika
Paula Cole
Sophie B
Hawkin
Dixon
Dallas (Country Music)
t.A.T.u.
Kate
Pierson (B52s)
Cindy
Wilson (B52s)
Ricky
Wilson (B52s)
Fred
Schneider (B52s)
Keith
Strickland(B52s)
Kim Petras
Brian
Molko (Placebo)
Mykki
Blanco (Rapper)
Drake
Jensen (Country Music)
Harisu
(K-Pop)
Shea
Diamond
FELIN
Tracy
Young (Producer and DJ)
Peach PRC
(Australian Singer)
Lil Uzi
(Rapper)
Tyler
Childers (Country Music)
Khalid
|
Shinjiro
Atae (Japanese Pop Star)
Tove Lo
Chloe
Moriondo
Girl in
Red
Christine
and the Queens
Alyson
Stoner
Ty Herndon
(Country Music)
Tegan and
Sara
MNEK
Tyler the
Creator (Rapper)
Holland (K-Pop)
Juliana
Huxtable
Naomi
McPherson (MUNA)
Josette
Maskin (MUNA)
Katie
Gavin (MUNA)
Troye
Sivan
Ben Platt
Zolita
Jennifer
Knapp (Christian Music)
Kelele
Freddie
Mercury (Queen)
Meredith
Graves (Punk Rocker)
Olly
Alexander (Years & Years)
Adam
Lambert
Zebra Katz
(Rapper)
Holly
Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Little
Richard
Kevin
McHale
Beth Ditto
(Gossip)
Bright
Light Bright Light
Marissa
Paternoster (Screaming Females, Noun)
|
Billboard: Best Pride Songs of 2021
Zolita: Queer Pop Music Queen
Brandi Carlile Honors Joni Mitchell With
Cover of 'River'
Brothers Osborne Accept 2021 CMA Award
for Vocal Duo of the Year
Brit Awards to Eliminate Gendered Categories for 2022
Billy Porter Is Attitude Magazine's Man
of the Year
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper: 35th
Anniversary of Iconic Song
Lil Nas X and Montero
Album: Power of Unabashed Queerness
LGBTQ-Friendly Country Music Artists You
Should Know About
Gospel Music Would Be Nothing Without
Black Queer and Trans Artists
KD Lang's New Makeover Album: Classic
Dance Remixes
Demi Lovato Comes Out as
Non-Binary
Out and Proud LGBTQ Country Artists You
Should Be Listening To
Harry Styles: Over the Rainbow
Children by Billy Porter
Brandon Stansell: Fighting to Live Truthfully as a Gay
Country Music Singer
Jennifer Nettles: You Will
Be Found
Ani
DeFranco
Tracy
Chapman
Rostam
Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend)
Brian
Falduto (Country Music)
Gerard Way
(My Chemical Romance)
Patrick
Haggerty (Lavender Country)
Victoria
De Angelis (Måneskin)
Angel
Olsen
Siena
Liggins
Vincint
Syd (Odd
Future, The Internet)
Lauren
Jauregui (Fifth Harmony)
Cakes Da
Killa (Rapper)
Big
Freedia (Hip Hop/Bounce)
Hayley
Kiyoko
Domo
Wilson (Hip Hop Artist)
Jennifer
Corday (Country Music)
Kehlani
Lady Gaga
House of
Ladosha
Kevin
Abstract (Rapper)
Matt
Fishel
Frank
Ocean
Linda
Perry (Four Non-Blondes)
Brian
Kennedy (Northern Ireland)
Renee Rapp
Morgxn
|
Mel B
(Spice Girl)
Sufjan
Stevens
Josh
Kiszka (Greta Van Fleet)
Darren Hayes (Savage Garden)
Neil
Tennant (Pet Shop Boys)
Kady Rain
Bebe Rexha
Orville
Peck (Country Music)
Karman
Kregloe
King
Princess
Cameron
Hawthorn (Country Music)
Rebecca
Black
Boy George
(Culture Club)
Billie Joe
Armstrong (Green Day)
George
Michael (Wham)
Brandon
Stansell (Country Music)
Chris
Willis
Lance Bass
(N Sync)
Village
People
Billy
Preston
Janis Ian
Ricky
Martin
Barry
Manilow
Liberace
Leslie
Gore
Chris
Housman (Country Music)
Angela
Morley - Composer (Watership Down, Little Prince)
|
Queer Music History 101
Songs That Shaped Our Queer Lives
Kahlani: Queer Musician
and Mom
Jolene by Lil Nas X
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
Playlist: Gay Guys Share Their Favorite MLM Songs
These Cocksucking Tears:
Documentary About Patrick Haggerty & Lavender Country
Indigo Girls: History of Queer Women
Musicians Who Shaped Us
Everyone is Gay by Great Big World
Renaissancing by Edward the First
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
by Girl in Red
Out Rocker Darren Hayes Opens Up about the Torment of
the Closet
Country Music Star TJ
Osbourne Comes Out as Gay
LGBTQ Singer Mary Lambert Announces She's Engaged
The Revolutionaries Behind
the Black LGBTQ Hip-Hop Movement
LeAnn Rimes Performs "The Rose" with Gay
Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
TJ Osborne's
Celebratory Smooch Marks First Same-Sex Kiss at CMAs
Out
country music star TJ Osborne made history when he
sealed his Country Music Award win with a same-sex kiss
— a celebratory snog that was seen on the air.
Osborne and his brother, John, won the Vocal Duo of the
Year Award at the CMA ceremony, in Nov 2021. It was the
fourth win in that category for the Brothers Osborne,
and when it was announced, TJ promptly planted a kiss on
his boyfriend, Abi Ventura, as the audience erupted in
cheers.
"I tell you, every time we have won this award, it has
never, ever ceased to be extremely shocking," TJ Osborne
said in his acceptance speech. "It's been a crazy
rollercoaster of a year for us in so many ways, especially
for me emotionally," Osborne went on to add. "And to have
you all support me, it really does feel like love wins
tonight. Thank you."
Brothers Osborne Accept 2021 CMA Award for Vocal Duo of
the Year
TJ Osborne's Celebratory Smooch Marks
First Same-Sex Kiss at CMAs
Country Music Star TJ Osbourne Comes Out
TJ Osbourne Wins Award and Kisses Boyfriend
Country Music Star TJ Osborne Kisses His Boyfriend At
CMAs
TJ Osbourne Kisses Boyfriend at CMA Event
Tenn Lawmaker Blocks Honor for TJ Osbourne
Osborne came out publicly in an interview with TIME
Magazine earlier in 2021, one of the few Country Western stars to do
so — and one of the very few male stars. He is the only out LGBTQ
Country Western recording artist to be signed to a major label,
according to Wide Open Country.
When he finally freed himself from the closet, he told
Ellen DeGeneres in a subsequent appearance on her talk show, "I
instantaneously felt like I wish I had done this a long time ago."
Fans seemed to agree; Osborne told Ellen he'd experienced a "wave of
love," and repeated the sentiment while chatting with CBS This
Morning, where he described a "tsunami of love" coming his way from
the public.
But not from certain lawmakers. After the Tennessee
State Senate unanimously approved a resolution to honor Osborne, a
Republican State Representative derailed the effort.
[Source: Kilian Melloy, EDGE Staff Reporter, November
2021]
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Video List: LGBTQ Music
Artists
LGBTQ Pride Anthems
Queer Artists Using Their Music to Fight
for LGBTQ Rights
Iconic LGBTQ Music Collabs You Should
Check Out
Caroline Holm Rognstad: I'm Not Who You
Want Me To Be
LGBTQ Rappers in the Hip-Hop Industry
New Queer Musicians Who
Are Making Their Mark
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Vincint's New Album: There
Will Be Tears
Chely Wright's Return to the Grand Ole Opry
Pink: Ode to Chosen Family
and Queer Fans
Sylvester Documentary:
Life of Queer Black Disco Legend
Ricky Martin: Super Happy
About Decision to Come Out
Trey Pearson's New Album:
Tribute to Larry Kramer's Legacy
Rolling Stone: Little Richard, Rock n Roll Icon, Dies at
87
Advocate: Emerging Queer Artists
Who Are Giving Us Life
Essential Gay Anthems Perfect for Pride
Month
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
LGBTQ Playlist
Adam Lambert Covering Cher's 'Believe'
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
Hallelujah by Panic! at the Disco
Cher: Walking In Memphis
Your Song: Lady Gaga Tribute to Elton
John
I
Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepson
Brave by Sara Bareilles
Official Coming Out Song by Ally Hills
Seasonal Depression by Mary Lambert
Y'all Means All (Queer Eye) by Miranda
Lambert
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
by Girl in Red
Industry Baby by Lil Nas X
Beautiful Noise by Brandi Carlile and
Alicia Keys
Lil Nas X and
Montero Album: Power of Unabashed Queerness
The star’s emotionally vibrant music is only part of the
story. The road to Lil Nas X’s debut album "Montero" has
been an exhilarating affair, complete with detours like
a chart-topping EP, “7,” show-stopping red carpet
outfits, multiple awards and a run of viral music
videos.
The Georgia-born rapper’s meteoritic rise started with
his track “Old Town Road” (released independently as a
single in 2018) which made the Billboard 100 and became
a viral TikTok meme in the process. But the star’s music
is only part of the story. Lil Nas X demonstrates a type
of celebratory, unabashed queerness that is badly needed
in the music industry right now, and culture more
generally.
The breakout success of “Old Town
Road” sparked interesting and important conversations about race and country
music. But after his June 2019 Twitter post celebrating his queer identify, Nas'
vibrant ascension took on a new purpose for his growing legion of fans —
especially his LGBTQ listeners. In an industry still steeped in homophobia,
transphobia, biphobia and overall anti-LGBTQ attitudes, Lil Nas X is a bold
symbol of freedom.
Nas is a disruptor, a title that took on new meaning as
he began work on his debut album "Montero" in 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic
and a broader fight against racial inequality. “Creating this album has been
therapy for me,” Nas said in a Twitter post detailing his work on "Montero."
“I’ve learned to let go of trying to control people’s perception of who I am,
what I can do, and where I will be. I’ve realized the only opinion of me that
really matters is my own.”
Lil
Nas X: Biographical Notes
Lil Nas X Music Video: That's What I Want
NPR: Learning Curve of Lil Nas X
The singer explores his search for self on tracks like
“Sun Goes Down” — with its emotional lyrics that detail
his own experience battling depression. But true to
fashion, he still finds space for fun among his
self-discovery, with thumping tracks like “Industry
Baby” and “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” Their
visuals give him a chance to continue to push the
comfort zone of popular culture, while tweaking the
trolls who would love nothing more than to crush his
confidence.
The rollout for "Montero" has been equally vibrant, with
Nas crafting a whimsical menagerie of unforgettable red
carpet moments, live performances and videos that
reflect the high energy of his current musical
iteration. In March, the artist released the video for
“Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” to both fanfare and
exhaustingly obtuse hate from public figures, fellow
musicians and listeners. But his lap dance with the
devil proved to be a perfectly choreographed
conversation starter — with the video spotlighting an
intentional representation of queer sexuality often
hidden from view — specifically for Black and brown
artists in the hypermasculine and often anti-LGBTQ hip
hop genre.
Nas kept that energy going with a BET Awards performance
in June that combined choreography, a cast of gorgeous
shirtless Black men and a kiss with one of his backup
dancers. But this kind of confidence took years to
build, as Nas told Out Magazine in an interview
following the performance. In that interview he noted
that while preparing for the performance was initially
scary, he eventually embraced the chance to really
flaunt his truth. That he is also able to use his art to
take on those who criticize his sexuality is a bonus.
Lil Nas X and Friends at the Grammys
Variety: Lil Nas X Revolutionizing Hip Hop
Lil Nas X Music Video: Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
LGBTQ Rappers in the Hip-Hop Industry
“Y’all
hate yourselves so much. Y’all live your lives trying
your best to appease straight [people]. Y’all are
uncomfortable with what I do because y’all are afraid
they will be uncomfortable with you," he tweeted in June
in response to criticism of the performance. “Work on
yourselves. I love who I am and whatever I decide to do.
Get there." Nas followed his BET Awards performance with
the July release of his prison-themed video for
“Industry Baby.” He performed a medley of “Industry
Baby” and “Montero (Call Me By My Name)” at the MTV VMA
awards in September — complete with another cast of
Black and brown backup dancers and a steamy shower dance
break. When he won the MTV VMA for video of the year, he
gave a triumphant thank you to the “gay agenda.” It was
a direct swipe at a ludicrous term that has long been
weaponized against the LGBTQ community.
Nas then stunned in three separate looks while strutting
the red carpet at the Met Gala, a trio that included a
luxurious cape detailed with gold beading, a suit of
gold armor and a figure-hugging black and gold jumpsuit
accessorized with a gold choker and chunky boots. To
celebrate the album release, his team is running a
series of eye-catching billboards this week that
directly call out and parody the anti-LGBTQ outrage that
seems to follow the artist, no matter what he does. It
appears Nas has found a way to make outrage his fuel,
cooly and calculatingly using the never-ending criticism
to highlight the way the LGBTQ community continues to be
marginalized, silenced and underestimated. And for Black
gay men, his success is that much more important.
The most
celebrated and most visible queer voices in the music
industry have typically been white men, from legends
like Boy George, Elton John and George Michael to more
recent acts like Troye Sivan, Sam Smith, Clay Aiken,
Lance Bass and Adam Lambert. So for Nas, a dark-skinned,
queer Black man with beautiful full features, to gain
the traction and coverage he has over the past two years
sets an important precedent.
His impact is also being felt across the hip hop
industry, which continues to be plagued by anti-LGBTQ
attitudes — despite how the Black and brown queer
community has historically supporting hip hop artists.
In a welcome deviation from this historical stigma, Nas
has garnered support from hip hop acts like Kid Cudi,
who recently praised Nas for his attempts to “break
down” the “homophobic cloud over hip-hop” and pledged to
do all he could to “stand with him” and “do whatever I
have to do to let him know — you have my support.”
Montero is Nas’ given first name. So it feels only right
that he named this album after himself, seeing that it
embodies such an inspiring, and personal, journey of
self-love. "I hope every single corner of the globe is
reached with this album," he told People Magazine,
adding that, "It's going to happen!"
Lil Nas X’s infectious self-confidence and captivating
artistry has carried him far — and his career is just
beginning. We can assume the rapper will continue to
influence pop culture through his zealous endorsement of
the kind of freedom that comes when we prioritize,
protect and proclaim our truth.
[Source:
Treye Green, NBC News, Sept 2021]
Chely Wright's Return to the Grand Ole Opry
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Rolling Stone: Little Richard, Father of Rock n
Roll, Dies at 87
New Queer Musicians Who
Are Making Their Mark
Rolling Stone: Essential LGBTQ Pride Songs
Wikipedia: LGBTQ Singers
LeAnn Rimes Performs "The Rose" with Gay
Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
Hayley Kiyoko: Queer Pop Star We've Been Waiting For
Pride: Gay
Music
The Village People: Career Overview
Billboard: Pivotal LGBTQ
Moments in Music
Gospel Music Would Be Nothing Without
Black Queer and Trans Artists
Interview: Troye Sivan
B52s Update: 30 Years After Love Shack
Queerness: 20 Queer Songs You Should Know
Good Looking by Dixon Dallas
LGBTQ Playlist
Charli XCX - I Love It (Live & Proud in
Sydney)
New You by Zolita
Oh Hot Damn by Cameron Hawthorn
Modern Love by Matt Nathanson
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Go by the Indigo Girls (Live at
the Filmore)
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper
I Was Born to Love
You by Freddie Mercury
Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
Prince: Nothing Compares 2 U (Live At Paisley Park 1999)
Renaissancing by Edward the First
Stranger in This World by Boy George
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen: Like I
Used To
You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift
Girls Like Girls by Hayley
Kiyoko
If
She Ever Leaves Me by The
Highwomen
Elton John's Top
Ten Favorite Songs
-Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
-Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis
-Lucille by Little Richard
-We Can Work it Out by the Beatles
-Reach Out I'll Be There by the Four Tops
-A Song for You by Leon Russell
-Think by Aretha Franklin
-The Weight by The Band
-Whatever Gets You Through the Night by John Lennon
-Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush
Queer Artists Using Their Music to Fight
for LGBTQ Rights
Mic: 16 Big Time LGBTQ
Musicians
Interview: Mary Lambert
Boy
George and Culture Club: Career Overview
LGBTQ Anthem: Lady Gaga's Born This Way
Queer Music History 101
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Top Gay Male Musicians
LGBTQ Rappers in the Hip-Hop Industry
I
Got You Babe by Cyndi Lauper and Adam Lambert
Ricky Martin: Lip Syncing
Old Time Rock & Roll and Footloose
Most Important Queer Women in Music
Lesley Gore
Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore topped the charts in
1963 at age 16 with her epic song of teenage angst,
"It's My Party," and followed it up with
hits
like "Judy's Turn to Cry," "You Don't Own Me," and
"Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows." It would be
another 42 years before she came out to the world as a
lesbian.
Brooklyn-born and New Jersey-raised, Gore was
discovered by Quincy Jones as a teenager and signed to
Mercury Records. It was in 2005, with the release of
her album, "Ever Since," that Gore finally came out.
She died
in 2015 at the age of 68. At the time of Gore's death,
Lois Sasson, her partner of 33 years, remembered, “She
was a wonderful human being—caring, giving, a great
feminist, great woman, great human being, great
humanitarian."
You Don't Own Me by Leslie Gore
Lesley Gore: Biographical Notes
Biography: Lesley Gore
Kim Petras Makes Transgender History With
Grammy Win
Unholy by Sam Smith and Kim Petras
Playlist: Gay Guys Share Their Favorite MLM Songs
Hayley Kiyoko Defies Police Over Drag
Queen Ban at Tennessee Gig
Adam Lambert on the Tonight Show: Do You
Really Want to Hurt Me
Sam Smith Was Viciously Heckled By Bigot
In NYC
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Songs by Trans and Nonbinary Artists You
Need on Your Playlist
KD Lang Gets a Makeover
KD
Lang's latest album, entitled "Makeover," released in
time for Pride Month 2021, features Classic Dance
Remixes From 1992 to 2000. It is a new collection of
her best-loved songs on a translucent turquoise vinyl
record. The album includes “Sexuality,” “Miss
Chatelaine,” “Theme from The Valley of the Dolls,”
“Summerfling,” and the #1 dance chart hits “Lifted By
Love” and “If I Were You.” makeover’s cover art
features a previously unseen 1995 portrait of Lang by
David LaChapelle.
“I had the idea of putting together a dance remix
compilation, as I mused about how we built community
in those days before the internet, mobile devices, and
dating apps," Lang says. "Those dance clubs were a key
to a world, which was still called ‘underground’ in
the ’90s. I also surprised myself by finding that
there was a cryptic, sort of secret zone in my career,
that hadn’t been explored, overlooked even by me. Two
of these tracks had even hit #1 on the dance charts!”
KD Lang Gets a Makeover
Miss Chatelaine by KD Lang (St. Tropez Mix)
KD Lang's New Album: Classic Dance Remixes
Lifted by Love by KD Lang (Club Xanax Mix)
Metro Weekly Album Review: Makeover by KD Lang
Sexuality by KD Lang (DJ Krush Mix)
Valley of the Dolls by KD Lang (Junior Vasquez Mix)
Called “one of the greatest singers of all time,” by
Elton John and “the greatest female singer in the whole
world” by fellow Canadian Michael Bublé, KD Lang’s
distinguished career includes four Grammy and eight
Juno Awards. In addition to a fruitful collaboration
with Tony Bennett (who calls her “the best singer of
her generation”), Lang has performed alongside
luminaries including Roy Orbison, Bonnie Raitt, Elton
John, and Loretta Lynn. She sang at the closing
ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and
the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter
Olympics. Lang has contributed music to the soundtracks
of several films, including Even Cowgirls Get the
Blues, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and
Happy Feet. She has also appeared in a number of films,
including Salmonberries, The Black Dahlia, and Eye of
the Beholder. In 1996, Lang received Canada’s highest
civilian honor, the Order of Canada.
Lang released her first album in 2004, the acclaimed
and highly personal “Canadian songbook,” Hymns of the
49th Parallel, featuring work by Joni Mitchell, Leonard
Cohen, Neil Young, Jane Siberry, and others. Her
subsequent releases on the label include Watershed
(2008), her first career retrospective Recollection
(2010), and Sing It Loud (2011). Most recently, she
released Ingénue: 25th Anniversary Edition in 2017,
comprising Lang’s multi-platinum, Grammy Award–winning
original album, as well as the previously unreleased
1993 MTV Unplugged performances. In the words of Uncut
magazine, “Ingénue still dazzles, 25 years on.
Luminous, languid and seductive to the point of
intoxication. This reissue proves its status as a
modern classic.” To coincide with the anniversary, Lang
performed sold-out concerts in Canada, the US,
Australia, UK, and Ireland; a DVD of the show, Ingénue
Redux: Live from The Majestic Theatre, was released in
2018. “A canny and sumptuous blend of roots music and
pre-rock pop, Ingénue sounds as great today as it did
upon its release. The songs shimmered with dreamy
textures,” wrote the Los Angeles Times. “Lang is so
good that she is in a class of her own. Wow. Just wow.
Most other singers should just give up now,” proclaimed
the Daily Telegraph.
[Source: Nonesuch Records, May 2021]
Jason Mraz Opens Up About Accepting his Queer Identity
LGBTQ Anthem: Lady
Gaga's Born This Way
KD
Lang, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee, Kitty Wells
Interview: Troye Sivan
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
Iconic
LGBTQ Music Collabs You Should Check Out
Out and Proud LGBTQ Country Artists You
Should Be Listening To
Top Gay Male Musicians
LGBTQ Rappers in the Hip-Hop Industry
Billboard: Pivotal LGBTQ
Moments in Music
Advocate: Emerging Queer Artists
Who Are Giving Us Life
HRC: 2020 Pride Benefit
Concert
Kim Petras Performs Icy at Streamy Awards
Little Mix: Support for
the LGBTQ Community
Tribute to Elton John:
HerMusic, Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato
Gospel Music Would Be Nothing Without
Black Queer and Trans Artists
LGBTQ Playlist
Talia by King Princess
Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Heart to Break by Kim Petras
I Kissed a Girl by Glee Cast
YMCA by Boy George
Afterlife by Ingrid Michaelson
The One I Love by Ellen
Krauss
KD Lang and Dame Edna Duet: I'm Every
Woman
Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae
American Pie by Shea
Diamond
George Michael and Elton John: Don't Let
The Sun Go Down On Me (Live)
Liberace and Young Folk: Feelin'
Groovy (1968)
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
Neon Cross by Jamie Wyatt
Help Me Now by Kevin
McHale
Freedom by Kameron Michaels
Pivotal LGBTQ Moments in Music
Equality
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people
is today's defining civil rights issue, but the music
world has always played a significant role in LGBTQ
progress. Consider musical moments that have been
pivotal in advancing LGBTQ understanding, acceptance and
rights.
1976 - Tom Robinson is "Glad to Be Gay." The British
songwriter penned the tune "Glad to Be Gay" for a London
gay pride rally. Inspired by the in-your-face posturing
of punk bands like The Sex Pistols, the song's lyrics
were bold and brave, especially considering the climate
towards homosexuals at the time. Some 40 years later,
the song still serves as Britain's national gay anthem.
1978 -
Sylvester dons a dress. Long before RuPaul sashayed onto
the Billboard charts in the early '90s, drag diva
Sylvester was paving the way for queens everywhere with
his high-energy club tracks. Best known for his anthem
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," Sylvester James found
his calling and adopted his one-name moniker after
moving to San Francisco to pursue music just a couple of
years before New York's Stonewall riot launched the
national gay liberation movement.
For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert
Kiss by Prince
Expectations by Lauren Jauregui
Louder by Big Freedia
All Me/Change Your Life by
Kehlani
Wild by Troye Sivan and Alessia
Cara
Rendezvous by Miss Benny
Breath and Sound by Tom Goss
Victoria Sole by Te Amo
Like Me by Chely Wright
So
Small by Ty Herndon
Aftermath by Adam Lambert
Giving Back the Best of Me by
Jamie Wyatt
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
by Girl in Red
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
Liberace and Young Folk: Feelin' Groovy (1968)
1984 -
Synth-Pop gets political. Bronski Beat wasn't the only
LGBTQ-friendly synth-pop group of the '80s. But back
when bands like Pet Shop Boys and Erasure were only
making veiled references to their sexualities, falsetto
vocalist Jimmy Sommerville and company were adorning
their album covers with pink triangles and writing
political, gay-empowering club tunes that left no room
for misinterpretation. "Smalltown Boy" was the trio's
most celebrated hit, and the song's video was one of the
first of any genre to address the issue of violence
against gays.
1990 -
Madonna makes the Vogue pose mainstream. Madonna had
already established herself as an advocate for LGBTQ
rights and causes in the '80s, but she took her
gay-positive message to a different level when she
introduced mainstream America to the Vogue flamboyant
style of dance, reminiscent of the underground drag ball
scene. "Vogue" soared to No. 1 on the Billboard charts
and came with a striking black-and-white video that
taught the world how to strike a pose.
1991 -
Stars pay tribute to Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The
flamboyant performer openly had relationships with both
men and women during the band's popularity. Mercury
revealed to the world that he had contracted HIV, and
became the first major rock star to die of AIDS. The
remaining members of Queen staged The Freddie Mercury
Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness to celebrate the life
and legacy of Mercury and raise money for AIDS research.
The concert, which featured performances by Robert
Plant, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Metallica, David
Bowie, Guns N' Roses and U2 among others, was broadcast
live to 76 countries, and had an estimated viewing
audience of 1 billion people.
1993 -
Countrified pop chanteuse KD Lang graced the cover of
Vanity Fair magazine in a barber chair being amorously
shaved by model Cindy Crawford.
I
Love You's by Hailee Steinfeld
Your Song by Lady Gaga
All I Do is Cry by Kim Petras
Love Shack by B 52s
I Believe by Bright Light
Bright Light
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by Culture
Club
Strangers by Halsey and Lauren
Jauregui
True Colors by LA Gay Men's
Chorus
Galileo by Indigo Girls
Radio Gaga by Queen (Live Aid Concert 1985)
Misery and Gin by Jamie Wyatt
Raising Hell by Kesha and Big Freedia
1993 - Melissa
Etheridge says "Yes I Am." While out rocker Melissa Etheridge
had experienced much success in the late '80s and early '90s, it
wasn't until her "Yes I Am" album that she made headlines. The
album (whose title served as an answer to questions about her
sexuality) spent 138 weeks on the Billboard chart and has sold
4.4 million copies in the US.
1995 -
Jill Sobule kisses a girl. Long before Katy Perry
catered to male fantasies by singing "I kissed a girl
and I liked it," singer-songwriter Jill Sobule made the
same declaration in earnest. Her song "I Kissed a Girl"
became a hit. Its overt declaration of lesbianism struck
a chord as a character-driven narrative, giving voice to
sexual exploration in a way rarely touched in pop.
1998 - Rob
Halford makes metal history. Grammy-winning Judas Priest
frontman Rob Halford came out during an MTV interview.
"I've been a gay man all of my life. It's only been in
recent times that it's been an issue that I've been
comfortable to address."
2005 - Elton John and
David Furnish tie the knot. In the '70s, Elton John was famously
slippery about his sexual orientation. But the singer set aside all
ambiguities when he celebrated England's recognition of same-sex
civil partnerships and wed his longtime partner, filmmaker David
Furnish. Five years later, John and Furnish adopted a baby boy,
Zachary, who was born to a surrogate. And later, the couple welcomed
Elijah.
2006 -
Lance Bass may not have emerged from the closet during
NSYNC's boy-band reign , but the singer's later
revelation was still nothing less than bold. In a People
magazine cover story, Bass declared that he's "not
ashamed" of his sexuality." Following his coming out,
Bass was awarded the Human Rights Campaign Visibility
Award.
Bad Guy (Live Acoustic) by
Billie Eilish
Church Of The Poison Mind by Culture Club
Blame It On the Girls by Mika
Sleepover by Hayley Kiyoko
Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift
Come to My Window by Melissa Etheridge
Manic Monday by Prince
Lousy & In In In by Zebra Katz
When She Loved Me by Sarah
McLachlan
Curious by Hayley Kiyoko
Closer to Fine by Indigo Girls
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
2007 - Enrique
Iglesias literally embraces his fans. He proved that his
appreciation for his fans is not specific to gender or sexual
orientation in a performance at London's G-A-Y nightclub. During the
show, Iglesias brought a male fan on stage and serenaded him with
his ballad "Hero." Iglesias confidently hugged and kissed the
swooning fan.
2007 - Rufus Wainwright, Friend of Dorothy. The campy
magic of Judy Garland was summoned by singer Rufus
Wainwright, who paid homage to the gay icon by
recreating the her stage shows from the 60s. Wainwright
took the act to Britain's Glastonbury festival, where he
donned lipstick and heels for a performance that
declared his sexuality.
Your Song: Lady Gaga
Tribute to Elton John
Same Love by Macklemore & Ryan
Lewis
Burning by Sam Smith
Not a Phase by Jessie Paege (w Lucy and La Mer)
Fix You by Sam Smith
Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld
Coming Out by Jessie Paege
Beat For the Gods by
Laverne Cox
Make You Happy by Mika
Rock Lobster by The B-52's
2007 -
Christian Chavez fights for "Libertad." He came out of
the closet while he was a member of wildly popular
Mexican teen pop group RBD. Four years later, in
the provocative video for "Libertad," the Latin-pop
singer uses a sexy narrative about two gay lovers who
meet in a club to make a stance for gay rights and
sexual freedom. Spliced between flashing images of
Harvey Milk, RuPaul, Martin Luther King Jr and others,
Chavez and his boyfriend passionately kiss.
2009 -
Lady Gaga fights for gay rights. With her equality
anthem "Born This Way", nearly everything she says, does
and wears, Lady Gaga has proven herself to be this era's
gay-friendliest pop star. First came her rallying cry at
the National Equality March on Washington. Then the 2010
MTV awards followed, where US service members affected
by the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy accompanied her on
the red carpet. Later, she appealed to her millions of
her social media followers to ask the New York State
Senator to vote yes for the Marriage Equality Act.
2009 - Adam Lambert glams up American Idol and debuts at
No. 1. While Adam Lambert didn't make his sexuality a major talking
point while competing on American Idol, he later came out in a
Rolling Stone cover story. Though he finished the 2009 season of
American Idol in second place, he remained the season's breakout
star and has since worked to become a role model for LGBTQ teens.
2010 - Ricky Martin reveals
all in his autobiography,
Me. From Menudo sweetheart to Latin explosion
leader, Ricky Martin has spent much of his career dodging relentless
scrutiny over his sexuality. Martin finally put the rumors to rest and
declared himself a "fortunate homosexual man." Martin is the proud dad of
twin boys, born to a surrogate.
It
Was by Chely Wright
Neverland by Korean Pop Star
Holland
That's My Man by Miss Benny
Rocket Man by Elton John (London 1972)
On
Your Side by The Veronicas
Feelings by Hayley Kiyoko
Wishing Well by Jamie Wyatt
Somebody to Love by Queen
Playboy School of Pop by King Princess
You Can Sleep by KD Lang and Melissa Etheridge
1950 by King Princess
Leave
This All Behind by Dixon Dallas
2010 -
Television series Glee features gay teens on
primetime. After first being introduced to Kurt Hummel
(played by Chris Colfer), the Fox show tackled gay issues
big and small, bringing LGBTQ storylines to the forefront.
Then Kurt met Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss). Blaine
serenaded Kurt with Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," and the
Glee cast earned its best single sales week for a
download with the song's release. Meanwhile, Brittany
(Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) were struggling
with their sexuality, and the two expressed their feelings
through a duet of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide."
2010 -
Country music star Chely Wright comes out and makes big
headlines in Nashville. Before publicly announcing her
sexuality, Wright had already established herself as a
best-selling, award-winning country music singer and
songwriter. Her story is told in Wish Me Away, a
documentary about her coming out experience. She married
Lauren Blitzer in 2011. In 2013, she and Blitzer
welcomed twins George Samuel and Everett Joseph.
2012 - Odd
Future member and R&B artist Frank Ocean published an
intimate social media post explaining that his first
love was a man. The declaration was initially meant to
be included in the liner notes to his debut major-label
album, Channel Orange, which came out a week
later. Prior to this moment, Ocean had recorded several
love songs that included the "he" pronoun.
2012 - Tommy Gabel of
the band Against Me! comes out as transgender. After living for 31
years as a man, as singer/guitarist for Florida punk band, he
announced he would be transitioning to life as a woman named Laura
Jane Grace.
2012 - After Barack Obama publicly endorsed same-sex
marriage, rapper Jay Z voiced his own support. "It's no
different than discriminating against blacks. It's
discrimination, plain and simple," he said. Other stars,
from Lady Gaga to Alicia Keys, also backed the
president's words.
2012 - The
world's biggest Latin touring act, Mana, made a strong
statement in support of marriage equality. The Mexican
rock band's lead singer, Fher Olvera, joined a chorus of
other like-minded musicians and backed gay couples on
the band's social media platform. "Full recognition for
same-sex couples is not just a question of equality, it
is also a matter of justice," the singer wrote. "In a
chaotic world where there is still too much hatred, all
expressions of love are important. Because the only sin
is the absence of love."
2014 -
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis serenaded 33 gay and straight
weddings at the Grammy Awards show with Same Love.
The ceremony was officiated by Queen Latifah. The
all-star performance also included Madonna singing "Open
Your Heart" and vocalist Mary Lambert.
2014 - Conchita Wurst wins Eurovision. The 25 year old
Austrian bearded drag queen won the singing contest with
her ballad "Rise Like a Phoenix."
LGBTQ Pride Anthems
Cher, Elton John, Bette Midler, Flip Wilson
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Lady Gaga Performs Elton John's Your Song
Unashamedly Queer Moments From Freddie
Mercury
Ricky Martin:
Lip Syncing Old Time Rock & Roll and Footloose
Boy
George and Culture Club: Career Overview
Time Out: 50 Best Songs to Celebrate Gay Pride
Demi Lovato Comes Out as
Non-Binary
New Queer Musicians Who
Are Making Their Mark
Billie Eilish: CBS Sunday
Morning Interview
Tribute to Elton John:
HerMusic, Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato
Pride: 20 Gay Pride
Anthems
Rufus Wainwright's Career
Has Never Followed the Rules
Billboard: Queering Mainstream Music
Huff Post: 27 Important LGBTQ Songs
Hayley Kiyoko: Queer Pop Star We've Been Waiting For
Complete List Of Culture Club Albums And Discography
LGBTQ
Love Songs
Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
Forrest Gump by Frank Ocean
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monáe
Bloom by Troye Sivan
Fool by Alyson Stoner
The Things You Loved by Shamir
1950 by King Princess
I Still Love You by Jennifer Hudson
Thinking About You by Frank Ocean
Private Emotion by Ricky Martin
Cinderella, Pt. 2 by Chika
Starstruck by Years & Years
Honey by Kehlani
Alan by Perfume Genius
Cherry by Rina Sawayama
Nothing But the Love by Wrabel
Fixerupper by Tayla Parx
Stay With Me by Sam Smith
Million Reasons by Lady Gaga
|
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X
I’m the Only One by Melissa Etheridge
Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith ft. Normani
Fool of Me
by
Me’Shell NdegeOcello
Love is Love by Culture Club
Time for Miracles by Adam Lambert
Lucky Strike by Troye Sivan
Hit the Back by King Princess
Tongue by MNEK
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend by Girl in Red
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
Superpower by Beyonce feat. Frank Ocean
Long Distance by Jordy
Daydream by The Aces
And Then She Kissed Me by St. Vincent
Sweet Tooth by Cavetown
Girlfriend by Rebecca Black
Higher by Vincint ft. Alex Newell & Princess
Precious
|
Iconic
LGBTQ Music Collabs You Should Check Out
Buzz Feed: 36 Gay Love Songs
Watch Mojo: Top Ten LGBTQ Anthems
Rolling Stone: Essential LGBTQ Pride Songs
Interview: Troye Sivan
I
Got You Babe by Cyndi Lauper and Adam Lambert
Pride: 10 Best LGBTQ Music Videos
Watch Mojo: Top Ten LGBTQ Anthems
Interview: KD Lang
Backstory: YMCA by Village
People
HRC: 2020 Pride Benefit
Concert
Kim Petras Performs Icy at Streamy Awards
Pink Accepts MTV Vanguard
Award 2017
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Lady Gaga Performs Elton John's Your Song
Freddie Mercury at Live
Aid
Billboard: Top 50 Gay Anthems
Interview: Mary Lambert
Emerging
LGBTQ Musicians
From jazz
and blues to pop and folk, these young LGBTQ artists are
breaking ground across an ever-changing landscape.
Chaz Cardigan - An alt-rocker for a new, angsty
generation, Chaz Cardigan is making space for himself in
a genre in which LGBTQ musicians aren’t often seen.
Cardigan recently released the video for “Not OK!” It is
a brash anthem for people struggling to get their shit
together. With all of his quirks and color, Cardigan
recognizes the privilege he has to make music without
his sexuality being the focus.
"I’m allowed to say that I’m queer, and no one really
bats an eyelash,” he says. “I’m allowed, actually, to
just exist as a person and not even have to make my
sexuality a focus in my art. I can just make art.” LGBTQ
artists have come far in recent years, and audiences
recognize that who you love is only a part of our
stories, of who we are as humans. For Cardigan, it’s
humbling: “Sometimes I actually forget that that single
adjective [queer] would have destroyed any chance of
someone’s career, like, 15 years ago. My friends and the
people I work with are all sort of immune to it, and
it’s really liberating."
Wafia - Now and then, a song comes on that feels like a
gentle breeze on a sunny day and you can’t help but
smile and drink it in. Luckily for Wafia, you get that
feeling listening to every track in her discography.
Whether she’s warning herself not to self-sabotage a
romance over the Caribbean-infused EDM track “Better
Not” or getting high on edibles in “Flowers and
Superpowers,” there’s something easy and infectious
about Wafia’s synth-pop. In just a few years, she’s
racked up hundreds of millions of streams with her
syrupy songs steeped in honesty. With her popularity and
profile climbing, she’s proud to be an openly queer
Muslim woman in the pop music sphere. Her debut album is
expected later this year. “It’s definitely a privilege
to be able to represent in my small way in this space
that I don’t take lightly,” she says. “There weren’t a
lot of people I could look up to that I felt I could
identify with. Visibility is important and I’m so glad
that times are changing.”
Advocate: Emerging Queer Artists
Who Are Giving Us Life
New Queer Musicians Who
Are Making Their Mark
Paper: Game-Changing LGBTQ Musicians
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
Pink News: Popular LGBTQ Singers
Billboard: Queering Mainstream Music
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Billie Eilish: CBS Sunday
Morning Interview
Jakk Fynn - Jakk Fynn is ready to “Heal,” and hopes his
music can do the same for you. Following a break up, the
Latinx pop-punk artist had to reassess who he was alone
as well as come to terms with his transmasculine
identity. His journey inspired his art and mission to
empower LGBTQ people with music. "Throughout my musical
journey I’ve met a lot of obstacles: opposition from my
family, pressures from labels, the idea that I had to
present myself in any way other than who I actually am,”
he told The Advocate in March. “These things never
stopped me though; they just pushed me harder to find
new ways to fight for my vision 100% on my terms.
Actively moving in opposition to what the world wants
from you is a difficult path, so I think it’s important
to celebrate those that do.” Maybe those are the steps
to heal not only yourself, but the world.
Amythyst Kiah - Amythyst Kiah has a voice that stops you
in your tracks and commands you to really listen. The
hypnotizing blues and roots singer recently snagged a
Grammy nomination for her defiant self-love anthem
“Black Myself” with Our Native Daughters, which won Song
of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards. Kiah
has also been named “one of roots music’s most exciting
emerging talents” by Rolling Stone. While American folk
music originated with Black people, it isn’t an easy
genre for any Black woman to be successful in — let
alone a queer one. But Kiah is unapologetic about who
she is. “It took me years before I felt comfortable
living my truth,” she says, thanking her parents who
loved and supported her. "I think of every piece of
queer art I got my hands on when I was younger just to
see my truth reflected back at me, and I only hope I can
be that for someone else,” Kiah says. “We should always
remember the ones who are still in the closet, for they
are still finding their truth the safest way possible.
Here’s to hoping with all of our perseverance that more
and more people will be able to feel safe enough to live
their truth without fear.”
Queer Music History 101
Little Mix: Support for
the LGBTQ Community
New Queer Musicians Who
Are Making Their Mark
Chely Wright's Return to the Grand Ole Opry
Entertainment Weekly:
LGBTQ Pride Forever Issue
Rolling Stone: Little Richard, Rock n Roll Icon, Dies at
87
Advocate: Emerging Queer Artists
Who Are Giving Us Life
Paper: Game-Changing LGBTQ Musicians
Kim Petras Performs Icy at Streamy Awards
Tom Goss - Music can be intimately personal. There are
few who know that better than Tom Goss. On “Quebec,” a
single off his latest album, Territories, Goss reveals
to his husband that he’s fallen in love with another
man. This is only after his husband revealed his own
infidelity, which led to the pair opening their
marriage. The album explores this experience, with
Goss’s heartfelt voice as the narrator, in a way that is
uniquely queer. "As queer people, we are used to having
a perspective that the rest of the world has a hard time understanding,” Goss says when asked why his work is so
personal. “It’s not always easy, but I consider my
queerness a gift. If I were straight, I would have
assimilated decades ago. My ideas would have been washed
into the ideas of society. My queerness and my differentness
in society has helped me be resilient in my authenticity,
openness, and personal truth.”
Quentin Arispe - Quentin Arispe has been singing all
their life. As they put it, "I can’t remember a time in
my life that singing wasn’t a part of. The funny thing
is that both of my parents aren’t vocalists or artists.
I’m super grateful, though, that they were so supportive
of my musical endeavors, and if it wasn’t for them I
wouldn’t have gotten this far." And Arispe is truly an
artist worth listening to. With inspirations that
include Alabama Shakes, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin,
and Beyoncé (they also share a hometown
with the diva), Arispe has the skill to create tracks
that turn into earworms like “No You Hang Up” as well as
the more chest-baring fare, “I’m That Bitch,” both off
of their latest EP, Fruit. The project is about
"knowing that you can be absolutely anything," Arispe says.
“That constructs are social and nothing can truly limit the
human experience. That it’s OK to be mad and it’s OK to be
loud and a bitch. That polarity and duality is godly."
Teraj - Teraj’s voice was a secret well into his teens.
Hailing from Miami, the artist was surrounded by the
sounds of Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, and Michael
Jackson in his childhood home, but he would never let
anyone hear his own abilities — until he did. Now he’s
embraced singing as a full-time career and is releasing
a four-pack of music videos alongside his album Defy,
that he wrote and produced. "The overall
message behind the album Defy is to inspire and
encourage others to overcome the odds, courageously
chase one’s dreams, and live boldly in one’s truth,” Teraj says. “I wanted to craft songs that share my
personal stories of growing up in an underprivileged
community with countless adverse circumstances and that
with drive, hard work, and perseverance, I overcame
that.”
Banoffee - Fans may have first come in touch with
Banoffee through her work with Charli XCX while touring
with Taylor Swift — and it was largely through that tour
that the singer raked enough cash to finance her own
debut, Look at Us Now Dad. The impressive album
contains a feature from CupkKaKe, and a
track done in collaboration with Sophie. The music she creates
(which establishes her as a part of a new generation of
musicians who are bringing “a sense of fun and sass that
is unrestricted by gender and traditional values” to the
pop genre) is certainly a central part of who she is.
As is speaking out about inequality and oppression and
how those forces affect more than the people who sit at
her intersections as a queer woman of color.“ The
support of the LGBTQ community has been beyond crucial
in my career,” says Banoffee. “Finally, I feel seen. I
feel welcomed without judgment and I feel like I’m a
part of a movement that is progressing through kindness,
not abrasion. I am honored to be a part of this
community.”
[Source: Mikelle Street & Taylor Henderson, Advocate
Magazine, April 2020]
Pride: 20 Gay Pride
Anthems
Huff Post: 27 Important LGBTQ Songs
Jamie Wyatt: Queer Queen
of Outlaw Country
Beauty and the Beast Parody Song: Todrick Hall
B52s Update: 30 Years After Love Shack
Queerness: 20 Queer Songs You Should Know
Interview: KD Lang
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
Essential Gay Anthems Perfect for Pride
Month
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
Gospel Music Would Be Nothing Without Black
Queer and Trans Artists
LGBTQ Playlist
Angel Olsen: All The Good Times
Dancing in the Living Room by
Cameron Hawthorn
Explosion by Zolita
Heartbeat by Jennifer
Corday
Stay With Me by Sam Smith
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae
Don't Shoot by Shea
Diamond
Killer Queen by Queen
Your Song by Elton John
Scarecrow by Melissa Etheridge
Burn the Floor by Drake Jensen
Symmetry of Two Hearts by
Bight Light Bright Light
Love Shack by The B-52's
Last Dance by Donna Summer
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Girl in the Kinks Shirt by Matt Nathanson
Holy by King Princess
Finally by Matt Fishel
Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld
Strangers by Halsey and Lauren Jauregui
Buzzcocks: Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You
Shouldn’t’ve? (1978)
Wendy Carlos: Switched On
Bach
LGBTQ Anthem: I
Was Born This Way
LGBTQ Anthem: Lady Gaga's Born This Way (NPR Report
2019)
I Was Born This Way by Lady Gaga (2011)
I
Was Born This Way by Rev Carl Bean (1977)
I Was Born This Way by
Valentino (1972)
I Was Born This Way by Lady Gaga
on SNL
I Was Born This Way by Lady Gaga
on Grammys
Queering Country
Music
LGBTQ Country Artists You Need to Listen
to Immediately
Country Music Artists Who Are Fam and
Belong On Your Playlist
Country Singer Chris Housman: Guilty as Sin
Tyler Childers is Back and Taking Chances
Good Looking by Dixon Dallas
Country Singer Maren Morris Comes Out as
Bisexual in New Post Celebrating Pride Month
Queer Artists Helping to Shake Up Country
Music
Morgan Wade: Fall In Love With Me
Ty
Herndon: What Mattered Most (Alternative Version)
Ty
Herndon: What Mattered Most (Original Version)
Brooke Eden Couldn't Find A Perfect Song
For Her Wedding, So She Wrote One Herself
Out and Proud LGBTQ Country Artists You
Should Be Listening To
All American Boy by Steve Grand
Time by Steve Grand
Heartbeat by Jennifer
Corday
These Cocksucking Tears:
Documentary About Patrick Haggerty & Lavender Country
Dancing in the Living Room by Cameron Hawthorn
So
Small by Ty Herndon
Slow Down by Brandon Stansell and Ty Herndon
Hometown by Brandon Stansell
In
Your Love by Tyler Childers
Same Old Country Love Song by Brian
Falduto
God Loves Me Too by Brian Falduto
Son of a Preacher Man by
Tom Goss
Neon Cross by Jamie Wyatt
Better This Way by Doug Strahm
Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
Karman Kregloe: Queer
Country Rocker
Chely Wright's Return to the Grand Ole Opry
LGBTQ-Friendly Country Music Artists You
Should Know About
Good Looking by Dixon Dallas
F150 by Dixon Dallas
LGBTQ Topic Songs
Everyone is Gay by Great Big World
LeAnn Rimes Performs "The Rose" with Gay
Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
Imagine by Lady Gaga at HRC National Dinner
Different Kind of Love Song
It's a Beautiful Day by Freddie Mercury & Queen
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
on SNL
Celebrate by Mika
What Doesn’t Kill You
Makes You Stronger by Kelly Clarkson
You Belong With Me by
Taylor Swift
Lollipop by Mika
It Gets Better by Todrick Hall
I
Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
Single White Female by
Chely Wright
Who Wants to Live Forever by Freddie Mercury & Queen
Jenny and Jill by Brett Dennen
Better This Way by Doug Strahm
Vroom Vroom Vroom by
Jennifer Corday
Boys by Charli XCX
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
by Girl in Red
Younger by Kevin McHale
Some Other Summer by Roxette
Love of My Life by Freddie Mercury & Queen
Chasing Rainbows by Big Freedia and Kesha
Secrets by Mary Lambert
Time by Steve Grand
This Was My House by
Bright Light Bright Light
Don't Wait by Joey Graceffo
Good Looking by
Dixon Dallas
She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert
Just Dance by Lady Gaga
You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift
Really Don't Care by Demi Lovato
Pynk by Janelle Monae
The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Like Me by
Chely Wright
YMCA by Village People
Love Today by Mika
What I Need by Kayley
Kiyoko and Kehlani
Philadelphia by Tori Amos
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
on Grammys
Son of a Preacher Man by
Tom Goss
Nobody by Jade Novah and Cynthia Erivo
We
Are Golden by Mika
I
Just Want to Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson
Love is Love by Starley
Him (Lyrics) by Sam Smith
I Like That by Janelle Monae
You're a Firework by Katy Perry
Dare to Love by Sean Chapin
Man I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain
I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry
All American Boy by Steve Grand
The Great Pretender by Freddie Mercury
Have You Ever by Brandi Carlile
I Am What I Am by Karen Mulder
Never Love You Enough by Chely Wright
Your Song by Elton John
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
This is Me from Greatest Showman
I Have a
Voice by Broadway Kids Against Bullying
Kiss Like a Woman
I Used to Be Cool by
Bright Light Bright Light
New Eyes by Adam Lambert
We Kiss in a Shadow
Me by Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie
Lover by Tom Goss
This is My Fight Song by Rachel Platten
Believe by Cher
Greatest Showman: This is Me
Love Sweet
Love by Broadway for Orlando
Don't Give Up by Maggie Szabo
Til it Happens to You by Lady Gaga
Dancing in the Living Room by Cameron Hawthorn
Stay With Me by Sam Smith
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae
Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels by Todrick Hall
Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve? by
the Buzzcocks
Let's Go Somewhere: R Dean Taylor (1965)
Queer Korean
Music
Despite
the vibrant K-Pop industry, South Korea isn’t the
bastion of pride anthems that it’s colorful songs and
music videos may suggest. Over half of South Korea’s
population thought homosexuality was "unacceptable" in a
2014 Pew survey. It's a tough place to be gay. A product
of its environment, K-Pop has a long way to go to be
inclusive. Openly gay singers and LGBTQ-positive songs
are rare.
But
occasionally there are a few that have featured diverse
sexual orientations and gender identities, either
lyrically or visually. And some K-Pop musicians can be
described as LGBTQ-friendly. And there
are some K-Pop musicians who have expressed support for
the LGBTQ community (including BTS and Mamamoo). But
overall, when it comes to LGBTQ pride, for K-Pop fans,
there’s not a whole lot to talk about. Due to immense
cultural taboos, only a small number of South Korean
entertainers have been open about their LGBTQ identity.
But things
started changing in 2018 in a big way. After years with
hardly any LGBTQ representation, we are beginning to see
openly-LGBTQ artists breaking into the South Korean
music scene. While there are only rumors regarding the
members of such K-Pop groups as BTS (boy band) and
Mamamoo (girl band), there are confirmed LGBTQ musicians
that are out and proud.
Korea Boo: Openly Queer K-Pop Idols
K-Pop Map: Artists Who Represent the LGBTQ Community in
South Korea
Rolling Stone: BTS Breaking K-Pop Barriers and Taboos
Pop Asia: Most Popular K-Pop Idols Voted by LGBTQ
Koreans
Holland
- Well-known as the media’s first openly gay K-Pop idol.
He debuted in January 2018 and stated that he wanted to
make his debut as a singer to speak up on his
experiences with violent assaulters and victims stricken
on sexual minorities. He originally debuted without an
agency since many did not want to sign someone who would
speak on sexual minorities, but has since signed to an
agency.
Harisu - Transgender entertainer and singer. Born
in 1975, she identified as female from early childhood
and had sex reassignment surgery in the 1990s. She has
been active since 2001 and is active in South Korea,
Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Lady - First all-transgender group in South
Korea. The group debuted in 2005 and had four members:
Sinae, Sahara, Binu, and Yuna. The group’s main
inspiration is from Harisu. Sadly, the group wasn’t able
to be promoted well due to their music videos not being
well received. The group disbanded in 2007.
Maman - First openly gay idol. Shortly after
debuting, Maman came out as gay in an interview. Due to
struggles with her recording company, she has been
inactive since 2015.
Korea Boo: Openly Queer K-Pop Idols
K-Pop Map: Artists Who Represent the LGBTQ Community in
South Korea
Rolling Stone: BTS Breaking K-Pop Barriers and Taboos
Pop Asia: Most Popular K-Pop Idols Voted by LGBTQ
Koreans
Hanbit
- Model, actress, and singer who debuted in 2016 under
the girl group Mercury. With the support of her parents,
Hanbit underwent male-to-female sex reassignment surgery
in 2006. In an interview, she stated, "Living with a
female body itself brought me the greatest feeling of
euphoria."
Hansol - Came out as asexual and aromantic. He
has since been vocal about his queer identity and how it
feels to live as a queer man in South Korea. When
talking about his sexuality, Hansol has stated that,
"I’m not attracted to the opposite sex, but I’m also not
attracted to the same sex. I never bothered to date and
I hate sex very much."
D.I.P - Debuted in 2016, and members Seungho and
B Nish are in a public relationship. The two announced
they were dating and are very open about their
sexuality. D.I.P’s leader is also LGBTQ. He is bisexual
and has stated that he is attracted to both men and
women.
Marshall Bang - Originally from Orange County, he
traveled to Korea to become a K-Pop star. He has been
openly gay since 2015 and debuted in 2018. Though his
gay Korean friends told him it would be better to stay
in the closet, he chose to come out as a way to be his
true self.
[Source:
Korea Boo, June 2019]
How the Village People
Brought Gayness to the Masses
Wikipedia: LGBTQ Singers
Elton John and James Corden: Carpool Karaoke
Big Time LGBTQ
Musicians
Halsey and Lauren Jaruegui on Today Show
Tribute to Elton John:
HerMusic, Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato
Lauren Jauregui Takes
LGBTQ Pop Music Quiz
Next Generation of Queer Pop Music
Lady Gaga Performs Elton John's Your Song
Billboard: Top 50 Gay Anthems
I
Got You Babe by Cyndi Lauper and Adam Lambert
Interview: Mary Lambert
Time Out: 50 Best Songs to Celebrate Gay Pride
Hayley Kiyoko: Queer Pop Star We've Been Waiting For
Buzz Feed: 36 Gay Love Songs
Rolling Stone: Essential LGBTQ Pride Songs
LGBTQ Pride Anthems
Out: Gay Music
The Village People
Original Members...
Victor Willis (Cop/Admiral/Athlete)
Felipe Rose (Indian)
Alex Briley (Soldier/Sailor)
Lee Mouton (Biker)
Mark Mussler (Construction Worker)
David Forrest (Cowboy)
Peter Whitehead (Generic)
|
Later Members...
Glenn Hughes (Leather Man)
David Hodo (Construction Worker)
Randy Jones (Cowboy)
Ray Simpson (Cop)
Jeff Olson (Cowboy)
Miles Jaye (Cop)
Mark Lee (Construction Worker)
|
Eric
Anzalone (Leather Man)
Bill Whitefield (Construction Worker)
Jim Newman (Cowboy)
Angel Morales (Indian)
Sonny Earl (Soldier)
JJ Lippold (Leather Man)
James Kwong (Construction Worker)
Chad Freeman (Cowboy)
James Lee (Soldier)
|
Disco Music
Musicians Who Are LGBTQ Allies
Madonna
Sarah
McLaughlin
Cyndi
Lauper
Carrie
Underwood
Macklemore
Taylor
Swift
Katy Perry
Jennifer
Hudson
Bette
Midler
|
Donna
Summer
Flavia
Barbra
Streisand
Pink
Dar
Williams
Matt
Nathanson
Cher
Sara
Bareilles
Brandy
Norwood
|
Jennifer
Lopez
Jay-Z
Kylie
Minogue
Diana Ross
Jessica
Lowndes
Gloria
Gaynor
Dan
Reynolds
Dolly
Parton
Garth
Brooks
|
Pride: Gay
Music
The Village People: Career Overview
Lauren Jauiregui: Social Media, Her Music, Coming Out
Garage
Artists: Queer Music From Sweden
Pride: 10 Best LGBTQ Music Videos
Video List: LGBTQ Music
Artists
Pink News: Popular LGBTQ Singers
Billboard: Queering Mainstream Music
Billie Eilish: On the
Jimmy Kimmel Show
Most Important Queer Women in Music
Lesbian Love Songs: Women Singing About Women
Iconic
LGBTQ Music Collabs You Should Check Out
Out: Gay Music
Matt Fishel: Radio Friendly Pop Song
Tutti Frutti: Little
Richard Performs at Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
Interview: KD Lang
Lesbian Love Songs: Women Singing About Women
Library of Congress Honors Village People Gay Anthem
YMCA
Songs From the Late 90s and Early 00s
That Probably Turned You Gay
Gospel Music Would Be Nothing Without
Black Queer and Trans Artists
Other
Media
Books/Publications
Magazines/Periodicals
Movies/Film
Television/Media
Arts/Entertainment
HOME
QUEER CAFE
│ LGBTQ Information Network │ Established 2017 |