LG on Music Theory Print

LGBTQ music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

German sexologists around the turn of the 20th century indirectly revealed that homosexuals were abundant in the music field and profession. The associated taboos regarding homosexuality and the large amount of homosexuals in music at this time led to the development of the idea of music being a method for expression, transcending ordinary life. Early Black queer artists included Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, who recorded overtly lesbian songs in the 1920s, as well as Little Richard in the late 1950s, Many artists like Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Dimitri Mitropoulos were subject to hiding their sexual identities from the public. American pianist Liberace was famously closeted and vehemently denied allegations of homosexuality until his death in 1987, suing a Daily Mirror columnist for insinuating his sexuality. While the entertainment industry now more openly discusses the role of gender identity both in the press and within music compositions, there is still reticence for many in the business to advocate for LGBTQ acceptance.

LGBTQ representation in hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins (1970s)#

Hip-hop was developed in the late 1970s following the popularity of disco. Disco music, which contains origins within Black American culture, had an impact on hip-hop from samples to early hip-hop fashion. The disco scene which was derived from disco music was known for its vibrant nightlife that was considered a haven for those in the LGBTQ community, particularly LGBTQ youth of color. Despite these origins, early hip-hop artists expressed anti-LGBTQ sentiments and epithets common of the time in their music. Sugarhill Gang’s 1979 song “Rapper’s Delight”, the first hip-hop record to become a top 40 hit, referred to fictional character Superman as a “fairy” for wearing a skin-tight garment. Soon after the rise of hip-hop in New York, the LA-based openly gay rap group Age of Consent performed their song “Fight Back”, an anthem against gay-bashing, at a live rap event in 1981, referring to themselves as “faggot rap” and encouraging other members of the queer community to “fight back” when faced with queer bashing.