Lgbtq music artists
6 Queer Artists Using Their Music to Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights
All around the world, the human rights of LGBTQ+ people and communities are under attack.
In 2022, more legislation was filed to restrict the lives of transgender people in the US than at any other signal in the nation’s history; while earlier this month, the Human Rights Campaign (the largest organization in the US devoted to the rights of Queer people) declared a express of emergency for Queer people in the US.
But it's far from a US-only problem. Cameroon too has seen an uptick in violence and violence levelled at LGBTQ+ people (with the victims existence arrested as a result); Uganda has just recently signed into law anti-LGBTQ+ legislation described by the UN high commissioner for human rights as "among the worst of its kind in the world", with Kenya and Ghana among other nations in Africa that are reportedly drafting similar laws.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also approved new legislation making it illegal to spread so-called propaganda concerning "non-traditional sexual relations", while Poland, Romania, Italy, and other European countries are also seeing a growing anti-LGBTQ+ backlash.
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The 20 Greatest LGBTQ+ Artists in Music History
We aspire you're having a superb Pride Month! Last week, we introduced you to 10 rising LGBTQ+ artists we believe will hold 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 disguised throughout history, we accept the 20 artists below have created impenetrable sonic works while also transforming 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 recognize she would still acquire the humongous LGBTQ+ tracking she has
10 Most Influential LGBTQ Musicians Of All Time
Here at Volume, we’re celebrating Self-acceptance Month by honoring and listening to some of history and today’s most respected and renowned LGBTQ+ musicians. The LGBTQ+ community has been celebrated for decades throughout the music industry, with some of the biggest and most influential musicians of our time naming a part of the community and movement.
This month is all about celebrating YOU and the confidence to be yourself. We honor the 1969 Stonewall riots and the ongoing work to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans.
We looked over the past several decades and highlighted some of the song industry’s most iconic and influential Diverse musicians and activists. From the durable impressions of Freddie Mercury and Elton John to today’s anthems sung by Lady Gaga, Lil Nas, and WILLOW, scroll down to see who we recognize as genuine pioneers and activists for the Gay community.
The man, the myth, the legend, Freddie Mercury is deemed one of the world’s most famous musicians of all time. As the British direct singer for Queen, he’s re
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 involve dropping out of academy 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 collective 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 organism transgender through her song as early as 2005, and came out in 2012, with full assist from friends, family and the band. One of the most pioneering Gay musicians of her generation, she continues to construct 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 Transgender Soul Rebel
Queer Artists Who Shaped Music History
If this playlist seems like an abbreviated history of popular music from the last 200 years, that's because it is.
Looking closely at musical trends, it’s not unyielding to find a queer artist at the forefront, even if many of those artists had to hide crucial aspects of their sexual and/or gender identities. While we live in a time in which queerness is far more present in the cultural perception (with still quite a long way to go), the queerness of numerous artists throughout history has often been harder to substantiate definitively. The creative impact, however, is unmistakable.
Queerness by essence is not uncomplicated to define. In fact, that may be a film, not a bug. As the poet Brandon Wint has described it, “Queer like, escaping definition…. Queer like the fearlessness to envision what love can look like…and pursue it.” Given that fearlessness and imagination are essential attributes of any creator, it’s not surprising that queer artists, for whom phobia and fearlessness are daily facts of existing, have given the world such gifts of imagination.
As we celebrate Self-acceptance Month, take a listen to the following playlist, and hear a petite samplin