Gay musicians
LGBTQ+ Musicians: 60 Pioneering Artists You Need To Know
28: Laura Jane Grace (1980-)
Born in Fort Benning, Georgia, Laura Jane Grace had a tumultuous time growing up (significant events add dropping out of institution and being arrested for challenging a police officer over a petty crime), before finding inspiration in the music of epic British anarcho-punk band Crass. By her mid-teens, the seeds had been sewn: she was punk through and through, and she formed her own band, Against Me!, in 1997, living with the team on the fringes of society until their critically acclaimed debut album, Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose, was released in 2002. Grace had been making allusions to entity transgender through her melody as early as 2005, and came out in 2012, with full encourage from friends, family and the band. One of the most pioneering Diverse musicians of her generation, she continues to produce music today, and remains politically active, having notably hosted the 2019 Dense Music Awards in Kentish Town, London, and endorsing the music charity Nordoff Robbins.
Must hear: True Gender non-conforming Soul Rebel
Queer Artists Who Shaped Music History
If this playlist seems like an abbreviated history of well-liked music from the last 200 years, that's because it is.
Looking closely at musical trends, it’s not hard to find a queer artist at the forefront, even if many of those artists had to hide vital aspects of their sexual and/or gender identities. While we live in a day in which queerness is far more present in the cultural consciousness (with still quite a prolonged way to go), the queerness of numerous artists throughout history has often been harder to substantiate definitively. The artistic impact, however, is unmistakable.
Queerness by nature is not straightforward to define. In truth, that may be a feature, not a bug. As the poet Brandon Wint has described it, “Queer like, escaping definition…. Queer like the fearlessness to imagine what like can look like…and pursue it.” Given that fearlessness and imagination are necessary attributes of any painter, it’s not surprising that queer artists, for whom fear and fearlessness are daily facts of existing, have given the society such gifts of imagination.
As we celebrate Pride Month, take a listen to the following playlist, and hear a s
32 LGBTQIA+ Icons in Rock + Metal
Here are 32 LGBTQIA+ icons in rock and metal.
In honor of Self-acceptance Month and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community year-round, we've compiled a gallery of LGBTQIA+ figures in rock and metal. Among the list are Judas Priest's Loot Halford, Queen's Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Halestorm's Lzzy Hale, Greta Van Fleet's Josh Kiszka and many others.
June is the commemorative LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, in honor of the Stonewall Riots that occurred in June of 1969. The uprising was in response to a police raid that occurred in Greenwich Village, N.Y., and is considered the single most significant event to spark the gay liberation movement.
Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, to encourage those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to share their authentic selves with others and for others to welcome it with love and acceptance.
READ MORE: Rob Halford Advises Closeted Gay Metalheads Not to Be Afraid
In November, Trans Education is celebrated and, more specifically, Transgender Awareness Week takes place from Nov. 13-19, raising visibility for transgender people and to further discuss issues the
The 20 Greatest LGBTQ+ Artists in Music History
We expect you're having a superb Pride Month! Last week, we introduced you to 10 rising LGBTQ+ artists we believe will grab the world by storm. This week, we're reflecting upon LGBTQ+ artists already in the public eye. Legendary musicians who contain inspired, advocated, and conquered.
Whether they've been open about their sexuality and gender expression for years or kept their label secret throughout history, we assume the 20 artists below have created impenetrable sonic works while also altering the world's view of the LGBTQ+ community for the better.
We've had to limit this list to only 20 people (we know there are so many other great Homosexual musicians out there!) but we have chosen the artists we've chosen because we believe their legacies have stood – or will stand – the test of time. We not only salute these musicians during Pride Month, but every day. Without further ado, here are our honorees.
1. Lady Gaga
Gaga came out publicly as bisexual back in 2010 after a 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters. Even if she had decided to keep her sexuality a secret, we comprehend she would still own the humongous LGBTQ+ accompanying she has
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